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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



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THE 



Household Monitor 



OF 



HEALTH 




KELLOGG, M. D., 



Editor of " Good Health," Superintendent of the Battle Creek Sanita- 
rium, Author of the " Home Hand-Book of Domestic Hygiene and 
Rational Medicine," " Man the Masterpiece," " Ladies' Guide," 
and numerous other works, Member of the American and 
British Associations for the Advancement of Science, 
American Society of Microscopists, Etc. 



2rn YY 



battle creek, mich. : 

Good Health Publishing Company. 

1891 



Entered according to Act of Congress, In the year 1891, 

By J. H. KELLOGG, M. D., 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



PREFACE. 



The purpose of this book is to teach in a plain and practical 
manner, those things which are of the greatest importance in re- 
lation to health. The growing interest in everything which re- 
lates to health, which has resulted from the recognition of the 
fact that the race is positively deteriorating physically, if not 
mentally and morally, has given rise to a great number of books 
upon this subject, most of which, unfortunately, have been 
written by those who have given the subject little attention, and 
who have not been able to present scientific facts as the foun- 
dation for the theories which have been advanced, or the rules 
which they Have undertaken to formulate. In the preparation . 
of this work, the author has taken great care to present noth- 
ing which has not for its basis, well determined scientific 
facts. 

Great care has also been taken to avoid abstruseness and a 
heavy or pedantic style. An earnest effort has been made to 
present as large a number of interesting and practical facts as 
possible in the limited space afforded by so small a volume. It 
is believed that every household will find in this volume some- 
thing which will be of practical value. The author has for many 
years entertained and advocated the idea that an important 
part of the work of a physician is the instruction of the people 
in matters pertaining to health and life. According to his idea, 
in the good time coming the treatment of the sick will largely 
consist of a scientific training of the whole body out of the ways 
of physical wrong-doing into the paths of physical uprightness. 
An invalid will be put through such a process of grooming, and 
dieting, and exercise, that he will verily be "born again," his 
maladies not antidoted, but left behind in the process of growth 
and vital progress which has been carried on. 

The medical man should occupy the position of the conserva- 
tor of the health of his patrons. He should be a wise sentinel 



IV PREFACE. 

whose duty it is to warn, advise, and admonish for health's sake, 
and he should be paid, not for his services to the sick, but for 
keeping the well in health. When this golden era for the phy- 
sician comes, it will be his duty to inspect the homes of his pa- 
trons, to look carefully into cellars and garrets, to examine 
drains and water supplies, to see that proper laws are enacted 
relating to the sanitary construction of buildings, especially with 
reference to heating and ventilation, and to dietaries and suit- 
able clothing, and to remonstrate against the following of un- 
healthful fashions. He will follow the children to the school- 
room, and insist upon the training of the body as well as the 
mind. 

Is it not evidently the duty of every intelligent and philan- 
thropic medical man to give the public, so far as possible, the 
benefit of the information which he has gained by study, ex- 
periments, and practical experience ? 

The evident relation of health to morals is one of the most 
powerful arguments for the necessity of works of this kind de- 
voted to popular medical instruction. 

It is asserted that many a poor fellow has swung from the 
gallows simply because the judge happened to have a fit of in- 
digestion. Whether this be true or not, any one who has vis- 
ited a penitentiary must have been convinced that many a man 
has been sent to State-prison who ought to have been sent to 
the hospital. Old Dr. Abernethy used to say, ' ' Every sick 
man is a rascal." We think the old doctor was rather hard 
on the sick man ; nevertheless, an extended experience with 
sick people has convinced us that, on the whole, it is easier for 
a well man to be good, or decent, or pious, than for a sick man. 
Good health does not always go with good morals, but good 
morals are certainly more apt to be associated with good health 
than the contrary. 

The total depravity which we often hear talked about is, half 
the time at least, nothing more nor less than total indigestion. 
So good a man as Calvin signed the paper which sent Servetus 
to the stake for heresy. We never could comprehend so in- 
consistent an action until we learned that just after this atro- 
cious action the great theologian wrote in his diary that he had 
for several weeks been tormented by a dyspeptic stomach. 



PREFACE. V 

It is high time that those who are seeking to reform the 
•world, should begin to preach the gospel of health. Instead 
of sending missionaries to the Kaffirs, Hottentots, Kalmucks, 
and Fiji Islanders, let us send a few messengers bearing the 
glad tidings of good health to the great "unwashed," the badly 
fed, the poorly slept, the generally neglected, and the physically 
depraved multitudes of our great cities. A clean skin and 
clean morals are not invariable concomitants, but we could 
never subscribe to the doctrine taught by one of the " Fathers," 
that the " purest souls are to be found in the dirtiest bodies ; " 
neither should we be found among the admirers of that other 
saint who was considered to be pre-eminent in piety because 
he allowed his hair to clot with dirt, and had three hundred 
patches on his pantaloons. 

The best foundation for good morals is good health. The 
man who respects himself sufficiently to keep his exterior in a 
wholesome condition is likely to be, by that same self-respect, 
restrained from polluting his inner man. We never knew any 
young man to be thoroughly wicked, who took good care of his 
body. 

Quite a lengthy chapter has been devoted to the subject of 
" Medical Frauds." It would seem that matters pertaining to 
the life and health of human beings should, above all others, 
command the highest degree of sincerity and honesty on the 
part of those dealing with these important interests. It is, 
however, a lamentable fact that the weakness and feebleness 
of disease, the distress and suffering occasioned by illness, are 
made the occasion for the perpetration of the grossest frauds 
and the practice of the basest deceptions. Human vultures, 
preying upon the credulity of the sick, and taking advantage of 
that blind groping for relief so characteristic of the chronic in- 
valid, have amassed stupendous fortunes by the manufacture 
and sale of the most worthless, nauseous, and in some in- 
stances, pernicious compounds. Illuminated by some taking 
title, these wretched nostrums are displayed in every news- 
paper in the land, painted on every conspicuous rock along 
the leading lines of railway travel, and thrust upon the. at- 
tention of passers-by, on fences, stumps, and trees along every 
common highway. 



VI PREFACE. 

Among the most deceptive and the most generally used of 
these various nostrums are those commonly known as "bitters." 
Under a variety of alluring titles, bad whisky, flavored with nu- 
merous nauseating drugs, is presented as a panacea for all the 
ills supposed to be alleviated by bitter tonics. 

An eminent Eastern chemist has taken the trouble to inves- 
tigate many of the most common of these "bitters," and with 
the result of showing that they all contain alcohol in quantities 
varying from the amount found in lager beer and hard cider 
to the percentage of alcohol usually present in rum, gin, and 
whisky. For example, there are " Drake's Plantation Bitters," 
"Boker's Stomach Bitters," "Russian Bitters," "Warner's 
Safe Tonic Bitters," and "Job Sweet's Strengthening Bitters," 
all of which contain alcohol in quantities varying from that 
of ordinary gin to the amount found in West India rum and 
Kentucky whisky. 

Again, there is " Hostetter's Stomach Bitters," the chief in- 
gredient of which is alcohol, which is present in the proportion 
of 44 3-10 per cent, while "Dr. Richardson's Concentrated 
Cherry Wine Bitters," recommended to be taken in doses of 
half a wine-glassful, or more, three times a day, " or whenever 
there is a sensation of weakness or uneasiness at the stomach," 
contains nearly as much alcohol as proof-spirit, or 47 5-10 per 
cent. 

The reader can readily see that the manufacturers of these 
nostrums are deliberately engaged in the business of " drunkard 
making," the medicine being prescribed in intoxicating doses, 
and the patient urged to take a dram in addition "when- 
ever there is a sensation of weakness or uneasiness at the 
stomach." 

But we will not consume more space in anticipating the con- 
tents of the volume, trusting that even a cursory examination 
will disclose sufficient interesting matter to command the read- 
er's attention, and that such a use of this little work will be 
made as will enable it to accomplish a useful mission in reliev- 
ing the suffering of the sick and afflicted, and especially in the 
prevention of sickness and disease. 



CONTENTS, 



PAGE, 

HEALTH HINTS 17 

Fresh Air 18 

Sources of Impure Air 19 

Poisonous Gases 19 

Amount of Carbonic-Acid Gas Produced 20 

Carbonous Oxide 21 

Sulphureted Hydrogen 21 

Ammonia and Sulphurous Oxide 23 

Dust , 23 

Organic Poison 24 

How to Ventilate 25 

Simple Method of Ventilating Common Dwellings .... 27 

Tests for Bad Air 29 

Germs: What They Are 31 

Uses of Germs 34 

Germs and Foul Odors 37 

Sources of Germs 37 

A Cellar Investigated 38 

A Peep into a Kitchen 38 

A Pantry Full of Germs 40 

A Sitting-Room Inspected 41 

An Infected Parlor 44 

A Death-Trap 45 

Unhealthful Sleeping-Rooms 45 

What 's under the House? 45 

Sanitary Survey of a Back Yard 47 

Death in the Well 49 

i Disposal of Germ-Breeding Matter 52 

Cellars 52 

Cesspools 52, 

Bedrooms, Beds, and Bedding 54 

Outhouses 56 

vii 



Vlll CONTENTS. 

To Destroy Foul Odors 57 

Barnyards 58 

A Back Yard Prescription 59 

House-Cleaning 60 

Sunshine 61 

Japanese Babies 62 

Night Air 63 

House Plants in Sleeping-Rooms 63 

Keep Clean 64 

Poisonous Paper 67 

Poisonous Aniline Colors 68 

Hair Dyes and Cosmetics 68 

Hygiene of the Eyes 69 

Tight-Laced Fissure of the Liver 71 

Squeezed to Death 71 

Thin Shoes 72 

Keep Warm 73 

Improper Eating 74 

The Pepsin Mania 74 

Effects of Drinking Ice-Water 75 

Wholesale Lead Poisoning 76 

The Cochineal Test for Lead 77 

Preventing Consumption 77 

Disinfection of Cuspidors .' 82 

To Kill Germs 82 

An Agreeable Disinfectant 82 

The Value of Pure Water 83 

Exercise 84 

Bed-Chamber Smothering 85 

William Cullen Bryant's Mode of Life 86 

Vegetarian Athletes 89 

Clothing for Children 89 

Harmful Restrictions of Dress 95 

Heavy Skirts 97 

FOODS 99 

Poor Food 99 

Eccentricities in Diet 100 

Effect of Diet on the Liver 102 



CONTENTS. IX 

Condiments 102 

Spices 103 

Facts about Salt , 104 

Tea and Coffee 106 

Tea-Eaters 106 

Coffee Topers '. 108 

An Erroneous Notion about Meat-Eating 109 

Vigorous Vegetarians 115 

A Barbarous Taste 116 

A Live Hog Examined 117 

Tape-Worm 120 

Trichinae 120 

Raw-Meat Diet 121 

Salt Meats and Consumption 122 

Tender Meat 123 

Diseased Meat 124 

Consumptive Hens 125 

Catching Consumption 125 

Milk from Stabled Cows 125 

Contaminated Milk and Typhoid Fever 127 

Sterilized Milk 128 

Cheese Poisoning 129 

The Inhabitants of Cheese 130 

The Cannibal Instinct 132 

Something about the Oyster 133 

Poisonous Oysters 136 

Poisonous Sirups 137 

Poisonous Baking Powders 139 

The Harmfulness of Soda 140 

Lager Beer as Food 140 

Two Meals a Day 141 

Eating Between Meals 142 

Hasty Eating 143 

Cheerfulness at Meals 143 

Diet and Mental Labor 144 

"TESTS FOR ADULTERATIONS 145 

Detection of Alum in Bread 145 

To Detect Blue Vitriol in Bread 145, 



X CONTENTS. 

Adulterations of Butter 146 

Test for Glucose 146 

Adulteration of Sirups 146 

Adulterated and Artificial Honey 148 

Adulterations of Baking Powders ■ 149 

Canned Fruits and Vegetables 149 

Preserves, Marmalade, etc 150 

Jellies 151 

Fruit Extracts 151 

Vinegar and Pickles 152 

Tea and Coffee 152 

Adulteration of Tin 154 

TEMPERANCE 155 

Forty Scientific Arguments against the Alcohol Habit 

155-189 

Ten Scientific Arguments against Tobacco Using 190-195 

The Stimulant Habit 195 

The Effects of Alcohol on Digestion 196 

Disorders Induced by Wine-Tasting 198 

Killed by Bitters 199 

A Hint to Smokers 200 

Intoxication from the Use of Tea 201 

SIMPLE REMEDIES for Common Dis- 
eases 203 

Hygienic Agencies 204 

Air 204 

Water 205 

Food 206 

Clothing 206 

Exercise 207 

Rest 207 

Cheerfulness 207 

Sunlight 208 

Electricity 208 

Colds 208 

Sore Throat 210 

Sneezing 211 



CONTENTS. XI 

Hoarseness 211 

Cough 212- 

Hiccough 213 

Croup 214 

Chilblains 214 

La Grippe 215 

Pneumonia, or Lung Fever 216 

Acidity of the Stomach 217 

Ulcerated Stomach 219 

Catarrh of the Stomach 220 

Canker 221 

Rules for Dyspeptics 221 

Diet in Painful Dyspepsia 223 

Constipation 224 

Bleeding Piles 225 

Indigestion 226 

Palpitation of the Heart '. 227 

Heart-Burn 228 

Headache 229 

Sick and Nervous Headaches 230 

Another Remedy for Headache 231 

Bad Breath 231 

Vomiting 233 

How to Relieve Nausea 234 

Baldness 234 

Dandruff 235 

Sore Eyes 236 

Nearsightedness 237 

Farsightedness 237 

Styes 237 

Granulated Eyelids 237 

Spectacles 238 

Earache 241 

For Nose Bleeding 24I 

Red Nose 242 

Acne 24,3 

Remedies for Erysipelas 244 

Eczema 245 

A New Remedy for Shingles 246 



Xll CONTENTS. 

Liver Spots 246 

Freckles 247 

Wrinkles 247 

Itching without Eruption 247 

Itch 248 

Chafing 248 

For Chafing Shoes 249 

Chapped Hands, Feet, and Lips 249 

Warts 250 

Felon 250 

Ingrowing Nail 250 

Stone-Bruise 251 

Corns 251 

Bunions 253 

Chilblains 253 

Tender Feet 254 

Foul and Profuse Perspiration 254 

Burning Feet 255 

Cold Feet 255 

Rheumatism 256 

The Apple-Cure for Gout 256 

Colic 256 

Convulsions 257 

Hysterics 258 

Apoplexy 258 

Fainting 259 

Sleeplessness 260 

Ague 260 

Diabetes 264 

Incontinence of Urine in Children 265 

Worms 266 

Goiter 267 

Stammering 267 

Food for Feeble Children 268 

Thumb-Sucking 268 

Measles 269 

Scarlet Fever 269 

Vitality of Scarlet Fever Contagion 270 

Fevers 270 



CONTENTS. Xlll 

Mumps 270 

Whooping Cough 270 

Dysentery 270 

Cramps 272 

Pain 272 

Sand-Bags 273 

Face- Ache 273 

Toothache 273 

Care of the Teeth 274 

Softening of the Brain 274 

Consumption 274 

To Stop Hemorrhage from the Lungs 276 

The Proper Temperature of a Room 276 

Crick in the Back 276 

Stitch in the Side 277 

Lumbago 277 

Hot Water for Torpid Livers 277 

Spring Biliousness 277 

Purifying the Blood 283 

Boils 288 

Ulcers 289 

Lice 289 

A Simple Remedy for Hernia 289 

Care of the Sick 290 

The Treatment of Diphtheria 293 

Disinfection after Diphtheria and Scarlet Fever 299 

Combating Germs in the Sick-Room 300 

How to Destroy Typhoid Germs 303 

Cleansing Sick-Rooms , 304 

Disinfecting Clothing 305 

Multiplication of Microbes 305 

The Absolute Proofs of Death . 306 

HYDROPATHIC APPLIANCES 310 

Sponge Bath 311 

Sitz Bath 311 

Wet-Sheet Pack '. 311 

Fomentations „ 312 

Pail-Douche 312 



XIV CONTENTS. 

Chest-Wrapper 312 

Half-Bath 312 

Compresses 312 

Rubbing-Wet-Sheet 312 

Hot Applications 313 

Vapor Bath 313 

Hot-Air Bath 314 

Hot-Water Drinking 314 

Enemas 315 

The Colo-Clyster 315 

Inunction 316 

ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES 317 

Drowning and Suffocation 317 

Poisonous Gases 322 

Illuminating Gas 324 

Hanging 324 

Choking 325 

Lightning Stroke 325 

Sun-Stroke 326 

Hemorrhage 32ft 

Nosebleed 328 

Bleeding from the Lungs 328 

Cuts 329 

Dressing for Wounds 33* 

Bruises 331 

How to Cure a Sprain 331 

Fractures and Dislocations 332 

For Scalds 332 

Freezing 334 

Incubation Period of Hydrophobia 334 

What to Do for Rattlesnake Bites 335 

Insect Stings 33§ 

Dirt in the Eye 337 

Lime in the Eye 338 

Foreign Bodies in the Ear 338 

Foreign Bodies in the Nose 338 

A New Means of Expelling Foreign Bodies Which have 

been Swallowed 339 



CONTENTS. XV 

Chimney on Fire 340 

What to Do in Poisoning 340 

Dangerous Kerosene 343 

Dangers in Gasoline 344 

MEDICAL FRAUDS 348 

Patent Medicines, Secret Remedies, etc 348 

Sure Cures for Epilepsy 351 

Opium Cures 352 

Cosmetics 353 

Asthma, Cough, and Consumption Cures 357 

Bitters 361 

Tonics 363 

Worm Medicines 364 

Liver and Kidney Cures 365 

Ague Cures 367 

Blood Remedies 369 

Pain Killers 37r 

Catarrh Cures 375 

Eye Remedies 376 

Hair Dyes, Restoratives, etc 377 

Dentifrices 377 

Corn Cures 378 

Liniments and Ointments 379 

Pile Remedies 384 

Miscellaneous 385 

Medicated Pads . . t 390 

Remedies for Diseases of Women 39a 

Hall's " Hygienic " Treatment Exposed 394 



HEALTH HINTS. 



1 ' Health is wealth " is a trite maxim, the 
truth of which every one appreciates best after 
having suffered from disease. Indeed, health is 
a most priceless treasure. When deprived of it, 
we are willing to exchange everything else we 
possess to regain it ; yet when well, we squan- 
der it ruthlessly, disregarding its plainest rules, 
seemingly regardless of the consequences. It is 
only when sick, and suffering the result of trans- 
gression of nature's laws, that we begin to ap- 
preciate the value of health, and the importance 
of regarding carefully the conditions upon which 
it depends. 

State and national health boards and commit- 
tees certainly do excellent work for communities 
and nations ; but the real influence which they 
exercise over the health of individuals is insig- 
nificant when compared with that which may 
be, and indeed is, exercised by the matrons of 
the various households which make up villages, 
cities, and nations. City authorities may exer- 
cise a rigid surveillance over all the avenues 
through which disease is known to enter ; they 
may keep the public streets cleanly, introduce 

2 [17] 



jg the household 

costly means of supplying water, and cause the 
removal beyond the suburbs of slaughterhouses, 
tanneries, soap-boiling establishments, and noi- 
some chemical works ; but if the seeds of death 
and disease are allowed to germinate and nour- 
ish in each separate dwelling, and around each 
fireside, what favorable results can be expected ? 
All reforms must begin at home, to be effect- 
ive • and we would urge upon all parents the 
importance of careful attention to the simple 
suggestions which are herein offered, by means 
of which they may be able to save themselves 
and their families from numerous illnesses, with 
attendant inconveniences, expense, and suffer- 
ing- c • 

Fresh Air.— From the first quick gasp of in- 
fancy to the last feeble sigh of old age, the prime 
necessity of life is air. Air is food for the 
lungs, as bread is food for the stomach. Mil- 
lions more people die from want of lung food 
than from a deficiency of other aliment. The 
Creator has provided the necessary article in gen- 
erous abundance, fresh, pure, and free to all. 
If we do not get enough, it is our own fault ; for 
when we close our doors and windows most se- 
curely, this vitalizing, invigorating element is 
whizzing and howling close around outside, seek- 
ing to find an entrance. 

People who nail up their windows, stop every 
crack and crevice in the walls, line the door cas- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. IO, 

ing with felt, and fix a patent thing under the 
door as a sort of air-trap to catch the occasional 
whiffs of pure air which might otherwise get in, 
are barricading themselves against their best 
friend. A man who should so studiously and 
deliberately deprive himself of the means of 
procuring ordinary food, would be pronounced a 
suicide. Is he any less a transgressor — though 
ignorantly so — who deprives himself and his 
family of a still greater necessity, pure air ? 

The demand for pure air is the most impera- 
tive of all the wants of the system. An individ- 
ual will die sooner from lack of air than from dep- 
rivation of any other of the essentials of life. 
A person may live several weeks without solid 
food of any kind, several such cases having been 
noted by eminent authorities. When deprived 
entirely of drink, life sooner becomes extinct. 
But if an individual be deprived of air, death oc- 
curs in a few minutes. 

Sources of Impure Air. — The sources from 
which the air may become contaminated are so 
very numerous that we cannot dwell at length 
upon all of them in so concise a treatise as this. 
We can only notice some of the more common. 

Poisonous Gases. — Of the numerous poison- 
ous gases which mingle with the air we breathe, 
carbonic acid, or more properly, carbon di-oxide, 
is the most common and abundant of all. This 
gas is heavier than air, and consequently it col- 



20 THE HOUSEHOLD 

lects in such low places as deep wells, old cel- 
lars, caves, and deep valleys. It is produced by 
combustion and decay in vast quantities, and 
would soon accumulate to a fatal extent were it 
not for the fact that while it is a fatal poison to 
man, it constitutes a necessary food for plants. 

One important fact to be remembered re- 
specting the properties of this gas, is its want of 
odor when pure ; so its presence cannot always 
be detected by the sense of smell, as can most 
poisonous gases. 

In Italy there is a curious cave the bottom of 
which is covered with carbon di-oxide to a depth 
of about two feet. Travelers can explore the 
cavern with perfect impunity ; but dogs or other 
small animals which accompany them, are 
quickly suffocated. 

This gas is produced in great volumes in the 
burning of lime, being driven off by the excess- 
ive heat. Cases of poisoning by this gas have 
occurred, in which persons have lain down to 
sleep beside the warm kiln, and have been suf- 
focated by the escaping gas. 

Amount of Carbonic- Acid Gas Produced. — 
This gas is formed within the body, and finds its 
way out through the lungs. An adult man pro- 
duces about five gallons of the gas per hour. A 
gas-light produces several times as much. An 
ordinary candle produces quite . a considerable 
quantity. Large quantities are produced in a 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 21 

stove or fireplace, but that which is generated 
in this manner is usually carried away with the 
smoke, and does not escape into the room. 

Carbonous Oxide is an exceedingly poisonous 
gas which is formed by imperfect oxidation of 
the fuel, which is frequently the result of defi- 
cient draft. The gas is often found in air- 
tight stoves furnished with close dampers. One 
remarkable property of the gas is its penetrating 
power. It will pass directly through cast iron, 
especially when it is heated. A few years ago a 
whole school was poisoned by this gas, several 
scholars nearly to a fatal extent. It paralyzes the 
Hood corpuscles, and thus renders respiration im- 
possible. It is a much more poisonous gas than 
carbonic acid, and is fatal in much more minute 
doses. In the case of the school referred to, 
the teacher had turned the damper, while the 
stove was hot, so as to cut off the draft, and 
in a short time discovered that a large share of 
the students were falling into a state of stupe- 
faction. This is a good illustration of the im- 
portance of always leaving sufficient draft to 
carry off the products of combustion. As this 
gas, like carbonic-acid gas, has no odor, it can 
only be detected by its effects. 

Sulphureted Hydrogen is a still more poison- 
ous gas which frequently finds its way into the 
air which human beings breathe. Fortunately, 
it has a very bad smell, — the characteristic odor 



THE HOUSEHOLD 



of rotten eggs, in which it is always present. 
This gas is developed wherever animal matter is 
undergoing decomposition. It is poured forth 
in volumes from cesspools, sewers, gutters, 
drains, privy-vaults, neglected cellars and cis- 
terns, and every other place where animal sub- 
stances are allowed to putrefy. It is this gas 
which gives to most decaying substances their 
offensive character. In the gutters of back 
streets and alleys in our large cities, this gas is 
sometimes produced in such enormous quantities 
that its active chemical properties become very 
perceptible, as will be shown by the following 
anecdote related by a professor of chemistry in 
one of our State Universities : — 

' ' A young lady who was entirely innocent of 
any knowledge of chemistry or chemical facts, 
emerged from an elegant mansion in New York 
City, fully equipped for an afternoon promenade, 
with face artistically painted a la mode. Her 
course, unfortunately, lay for a little distance 
through a portion of the city where the drainage 
was imperfect, and the air was consequently 
redolent with that wonderfully pungent and act- 
ive gas which is so characteristic of rotten eggs 
— sulphureted hydrogen. Of course the lady 
could not be unconscious of the presence of 
some noxious element in the atmosphere ; but 
she was nevertheless wholly ignorant of its 
chemical properties. Her ignorance did not, 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 23 

however, deter the gas from manifesting its 
most vigorous affinities for the lead paint upon 
her cheeks, of which she had abundant evidence 
as she stood before a mirror, on her return 
home, and viewed the swarthy appearance of 
her countenance, which would have been very 
becoming to a representative member of the 
African race." 

Ammonia, and Sulphurous Oxide, with 
various other noxious gases, find their way into 
the air in numerous ways, and exert a deleteri- 
ous influence upon the health. 

Dust. — It is next to impossible to obtain air 
wholly free from dust. Its constant motion 
lifts and holds suspended little particles of vari- 
ous substances which are more or less injurious 
to health, unless the quantity is very small in- 
deed. Some trades, as stone-cutting, coal-heav- 
ing, rag-picking, cotton and wool spinning and 
weaving, and other avocations which involve the 
production of considerable quantities of dust, ex- 
pose the workmen to an atmosphere loaded with 
fine particles, which are drawn into the lungs 
with every breath, and, finding lodgment there, 
may induce irritation, and still more serious dis- 
ease of those organs. By a wonderful provision 
of nature, the finer particles of dust, if in small 
quantity, may be wholly removed so that they 
will not pass down into the more delicate air- 
cells of the lungs. But if the quantity of dust is 



24 THE HOUSEHOLD 

great, this provision fails to afford protection. 

The inhalation of dust is one of the causes of 
consumption. Post-mortem examination of the 
lungs of persons who had died from this cause 
showed the lungs to have acquired the color of 
the particles inhaled ; and, in some cases, they 
contained so large a quantity of sand that they 
felt gritty to the touch. 

Great care should always be taken to avoid 
dust as much as possible. In sweeping carpets 
and dirty floors, a person is exposed to injury 
unless some precaution, such as sprinkling the 
floor or moistening the broom, is taken to pre- 
vent filling the air with dirt. There are very 
few people who would not turn with disgust from 
food which was rilled with particles of coal or 
sand, covered with dust, and gritty to the teeth. 
Yet the same persons will take their gaseous food 
in precisely the same condition, without remon- 
strance. 

Organic Poison. — Gases, germs, and dust are 
most prolific sources of disease and death which 
attack man from the air ; but there is yet an- 
other enemy of life more potent still, which 
lurks, too often unsuspected, in the air we 
breathe. Very little, indeed, is known of the 
real nature of this poison, since it has, in con- 
siderable degree, eluded the efforts of the chem- 
ist to submit it to analysis ; but it is of organic 
origin, and hence is known by the term organic 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 25 

poison. This poisonous element is introduced 
into the air chiefly by means of respiration, to- 
gether with exhalations from the skin. It is one 
of the most noxious poisons ever present in air. 
It will produce death much sooner than most 
other impurities found in the air. Experiments 
upon animals have shown that a mouse will die 
in a few minutes when confined in air heavily 
charged with this poison. 

The moisture which condenses on the inside 
of the windows of an occupied room in a cold 
day, contains the poison in solution. If a little 
is collected in a vial and set away, it will soon 
become intensely fetid and offensive. It is this 
poison which gives to an unventilated room the 
close, fusty odor with which every one is famil- 
iar. One who has been long in the room will 
not observe it ; but it is very distinct to a person 
coming in directly from the pure air outside. 

How to Ventilate. — The only way to get 
fresh air is to obtain it from out-of-doors, by ex- 
changing the foul air within for pure air without. 

How much fresh air do we need ? Every man 
needs enough to dilute the poison which he ex- 
hales sufficiently to render it harmless. To ef- 
fect this a quantity of air 5,000 times as great as 
the amount of carbon di-oxide produced, is re- 
quired. In other words, 5,000 gallons of pure 
air are necessary to render harmless one gallon 
of carbon di-oxide. A man produces a gallon of 



26 THE HOUSEHOLD 

this poison every twelve minutes, or five gallons 
an hour; hence he requires 5,000 gallons of pure 
air every twelve minutes, or 25,000 gallons each 
hour — more than 3,000 cubic feet. 

To ventilate well, there must be two open- 
ings, — one for the air to come in at, and the 
other for the air to go out at. What ! shall we 
open the windows at top and bottom on a cold 
wintry day ? — Certainly. Cold air is not poison. 
Plenty of air and a rousing fire are cheaper in 
the long run than foul air and less fire. 

But will not cold air produce colds, and lung 
fevers and pleurisies, and consumptions ? Peo- 
ple do n't catch cold in open sleighs nor when 
walking in the wind. Drafts of cold air upon 
a small portion of the body only, will occasion 
cold ; but there need be no drafts. Avoid them 
in this way : — 

Take a strip of board, three or four inches 
wide, just the length of the window-casing. Fit 
it beneath the lower sash. This makes an open- 
ing between the two sashes where they overlap. 
Here the air can enter, and being thrown up- 
ward toward the ceiling, it will be productive of 
no harm to any one. 

Another way : Lower a window at the top on 
one side of the room, and on the opposite side 
raise another a little at the bottom. Place a 
screen of fine netting in front of each, and the 
room will be pretty well ventilated without drafts. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 2J 

Unless a strong wind is blowing, the window 
should be lowered one inch for each occupant of 
the room. A window should be raised an equal 
amount upon the opposite side, to allow a circu- 
lation of the air. 

The old-fashioned fireplace was a most effi- 
cient ventilator. It is a good omen that fire- 
places have again come into use. The most 
fashionable parlors in large cities are now heated 
by them. 

If flues are used in ventilating rooms, it is ab- 
solutely necessary that the air in them should be 
heated several degrees higher than that in the 
rooms, to secure a draft. 

Simple Method of Ventilating Common 
Dwellings. — No expensive apparatus is neces- 
sary to supply an abundance of pure air to any 
dwelling. If a house is not quite completed, 
ventilating shafts for conveying away the foul air 
can be provided by building the chimney of ex- 
tra size, and by means of a partition, making two 
compartments, one to be used for ventilation, 
the other for conveying away the smoke from 
stoves or fireplaces. If a house is finished 
without any way being provided for ventilation, 
as is the case in the majority of homes, an ar- 
rangement may be made like that shown in 
the accompanying cut, which though less ele- 
gant than more expensive ventilating arrange- 
ments, is none the less effective, if properly con- 



28 



THE HOUSEHOLD 




SIMPLE VENTILATING APPARATUS. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 20, 

structed. The figure represents a stove, one 
side of which is incased in a sheet iron envelope, 
J, which communicates by the pipe P, with the 
outer air through the duct B. Through this tun- 
nel the fresh air will enter freely, being warmed 
by contact with the heated surface of the stove ; 
then, rising to the hot ceiling and passing to the 
outer sides of the room, where it becomes cool 
and falls to the floor, it is drawn up into the 
pipe Y, through which it passes into the chim- 
ney, just below the opening for the stovepipe. 
An arrangement of this kind can be put into any 
house at an expense of from ten to twenty dol- 
lars, and will secure an ample supply of fresh air 
at' all times. 

Tests for Bad Air. — i. Air with a bad odor 
is unfit to breathe. 

2. Air with a fusty odor is surcharged with 
organic matter, and dangerous. 

3. Carbonic acid, or carbon di-oxide, is the 
most easily detected of the ordinary impurities 
of the atmosphere, and is a pretty accurate gauge 
of the condition of the air as regards health. 

The most reliable authorities agree that the 
proportion of carbonic acid should never be al- 
lowed, to become greater than 6 parts in 10,000; 
hence it is important to be able to detect the 
presence of this gas, especially since, as before 
remarked, it cannot be readily detected by any 
of the senses. Fortunately, this may be accom- 



30 THE HOUSEHOLD 

plished by very simple means, the use of which 
requires only ordinary care. The materials re- 
quired to perform the test are a supply of per- 
fectly clear, saturated lime-water, and four bot- 
tles or jars of different sizes, the sizes required 
being the following : one jar or bottle capable 
of holding exactly 16 ounces, or one pint ; a sec- 
ond holding io| ounces; a third holding 8 
ounces, or one half pint ; and a fourth capable 
of holding 6\ ounces. The jars should have 
necks large enough to admit of perfect cleaning 
of the whole inside, and the greatest pains should 
be taken to remove every particle of dirt or dust 
from the inside as well as the outside, with 
water. To apply the test, fill the jar with the 
air to be tested. This may be done either by 
drawing the air out of the bottle through a straw 
or tube, or by filling it with pure water and let- 
ting the water escape. Great care should be 
taken in sucking the air out of the bottle that 
the breath be not allowed to enter. To deter- 
mine the amount of carbonic acid present, use 
the smallest jar first. After filling it in the man- 
ner described, pour in a large tablespoonful 
of clear lime-water. Close the mouth with a 
clean stopper, and shake vigorously for five min- 
utes. If the lime-water becomes cloudy, car- 
bonic acid is present in the air in the proportion 
of 10 parts to 10,000. If it does not become 
cloudy, repeat the experiment with the next 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 3 1 

size, or half-pint jar. If the lime-water becomes 
cloudy in this, the proportion of carbonic acid is 
8 parts in 10,000. This proportion may often 
be found in the rooms of dwelling-houses, and 
sometimes in crowded streets and narrow alleys. 
If the lime-water does not become cloudy in a 
jar of this size, the next size should be used in 
the same manner. The cloudiness appearing in 
this jar indicates the presence of 6 parts in 10,- 
000. This is the- largest proportion which may 
exist without actual danger to health. If no 
cloudiness appears without the employment of 
the largest jar, the proportion is only 4 parts of 
carbonic acid to 10,000 of air, and the air is 
practically pure. 

Germs : What They Are. — Chemistry 
brings to light poisonous gases, the presence of 
which is confirmed by the sense of smell ; but 
the microscope makes a still more important dis- 
covery ; viz. , the presence of myriads of specks 
of life, to which the name germs has been at- 
tached. Wherever decomposition is taking 
place, these organisms are present in countless 
numbers. It is perhaps a question whether 
they are a product of decomposition, or its 
cause ; but it is certain that they are never 
absent from any process of decay. Infinitesi- 
mal in size, — so small that millions may range 
with unrestricted freedom in the smallest drop 
of water, — they are yet more potent for harm 



32 THE HOUSEHOLD 

to human life and health than all other agencies 
combined. 

Nine tenths of all diseases, if not all, are 
caused by specific low organisms. Among those 
which have been already distinctly isolated, are 
the microbes of consumption, typhoid fever, yel- 
low fever, dysentery, cholera, lock-jaw, pneu- 
monia, and a long list of diseases whose exact 
number is not known. Even such simple dis- 
eases as boils, run-rounds, warts, etc., have 
been traced to germ causes, and the decay of 
the teeth is also chargeable to the action of 
germs. There is a great difference between 
these different bacilli, just as there is between 
large animals. A fence which will be perfectly 
safe against cattle may prove of no account 
against dogs ; and where pine trees will grow 
we may not be able to raise potatoes. Similar 
differences exist also between these microbes. 

All of these germs of diseases require moisture 
for their germination and growth. They are not 
killed by dryness ; they only do not develop. 
A well-authenticated case is on record where 
the plague, which we have now hardly any rea- 
son to doubt is caused by a bacillus, broke out 
in a town in* Germany 200 years after the last 
plague had been there, — and while no cases of 
plague were within 1,000 miles, — after the tear- 
ing down of an old house, in the masonry of 
which a mummy was found that had been ce- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 33 

merited in. From records it was evidently the 
corpse of a person who had died of the plague 
200 years before. This shows the wonderful 
tenacity of microbes. They will survive freezing,, 
having been known to actively exist in a solid 
cake of ice. Medical science has been revolu- 
tionized by their discovery. 

There is some difference of opinion respecting 
the exact nature of the germs which give rise to 
different diseases, and as to the exact mode of 
their development and transmission ; but it is 
certainly settled that decomposing matter fur- 
nishes a fertile soil for the development of the 
germ-causes of the diseases mentioned and many 
others. Uncleanliness is now much better un- 
derstood as being the factor in spreading dis- 
eases. Virchow examined the nails of school- 
children, and underneath them he found, with 
particles of dirt, bacilli and eggs of all the 
intestinal parasitical worms, which, of course, 
would be eaten by the children with their daily 
bread. 

But what do you know about these germs you 
talk so much about ? says one. Is not this all 
an hypothesis ? We answer, The connection of 
germs with the phenomena of decay and disease, 
is something more than an hypothesis. A germ 
is not an hypothetical thing, like the ether of 
physical science. Germs have been seen and 
studied by the aid of powerful microscopes, with 



34 THE HOUSEHOLD 

the greatest care. Their species, modes of de- 
velopment, favorite habitats, and the conditions 
essential to their existence, have been worked 
out with almost as much completeness as the 
same points with reference to the most common 
of our higher plants and animals. 

Uses of Germs. —Germs play an important 
role in the cycle of existence. Without their 
agency, the world would soon be covered with 
the dead but not disorganized carcasses of the 
millions of animal and vegetable forms which 
die each instant. It is the function of some of 
these infinitesimal creatures to reduce back to 
an inorganic state, animal and vegetable forms 
which have performed their part in the world, 
and are no longer of service. The moment an 
animal or a vegetable dies, even before the last 
agonies are over, these invisible scavengers begin 
their work, and their labor is carried forward 
untiringly until completed. This is what we 
call decay, or decomposition. Seal up a de- 
composable body hermetically, taking care to 
exclude every germ, and it will keep as long 
as the receptacle lasts, without the slightest 
taint. This is what the housewife endeavors to 
do in the process of fruit-canning. She boils the 
fruit to destroy the germs it contains, and puts 
it in the cans while it is yet hot. If the work is 
well done, it is a success ; but if one little germ 
escapes destruction, the labor is in vain. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 35 

These same germs are helpful in the making 
of bread. In destroying a portion of the starch 
of the flour, they occasion the evolution of car- 
bonic acid gas, which in rising through the 
dough, makes it light. They are in one sense 
friendly, since they are the instruments of the 
removal of a vast amount of dead and useless 
material which would otherwise soon bury us 
by its rapid accumulation. Wherever decom- 
position is taking place, these germs are present 
in prodigious numbers. One evidence of this 
is the presence of large numbers of flies in such 
places. The common house-fly subsists largely 
upon these same germs, as well as upon the same 
kind of food as its microscopic competitors. 
Have you ever watched a fly, or hundreds of 
them, on a summer day, circling round and 
round, apparently without any particular end in 
view ? I used to wonder why the little creature 
should spend its time so aimlessly. The reason 
is readily found. Catch and kill one, if your 
conscience will permit you, and put it under the 
microscope. Observe its wings. These filmy 
objects, when magnified, present a formidable 
array of spikes and needle points. Here and 
there among them are some of the very germs 
which we find in the air, in water, in decom- 
posing matter. Now let us dissect the fly, and 
examine the contents of its stomach. Here also 
we find great numbers of those same germs. 



36 THE HOUSEHOLD 

Now let us watch the little creatures again. 
Here is one which has been soaring about, 
and now alights, apparently to rest, upon the 
window-pane. Watch him a moment. Now 
he is standing on the forward four of his six 
legs, and brushing his wings with the hinder 
two. He brushes a few seconds, then rubs his 
feet together, then brushes again, and again 
rubs his feet, then passes something from one 
hind foot to the middle one, then to the front 
foot of the same side, then rubs the two front 
feet for an instant, and brings both feet to his 
mouth ; then he repeats the process. Now he 
is brushing his head in the same way. Do you 
suppose he is making his toilet ? Quite a mis- 
take. The fly is not so fastidious as to spend 
so much time over his appearance. He is mak- 
ing a meal of germs. He soars around until his 
wings are loaded, then rests upon some object 
while he scrapes them together, rolls them into 
little balls, and makes a meal of them. Every 
time you see a fly going through such antics, 
think of germs, and hunt around for the hotbed 
in which they are propagating. 

Perhaps there was something more than senti- 
ment in the old nursery rhyme, ' ' Don't kill the 
fly," etc. But let us not be too hasty in our 
conclusions. Pretty soon one of those germ- 
eating flies will come along and put a punctua- 
tion mark on the morsel of bread you are about 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 37 

to eat. If you examine that same punctuation 
mark, you will find it full of germs ; and so you 
are going to eat them after all. The only real 
service done us by flies is that of a sort of 
sanitary thermometer, by which we may judge 
of the abundance of germs about our premises. 

Germs and Foul Odors. — Noxious gases and 
disease-germs are usually associated together, — 
a fortunate fact, as it enables us to detect the 
dangerous character of an infected atmosphere 
without the trouble of a chemical analysis. It 
is possible for the air to be swarming with disease- 
germs without an offensive odor being present ; 
but it seldom happens that we have an odor of 
putrescence without the presence of noxious 
germs. It is perfectly safe to say that a foul- 
smelling air is a dangerous air. If our eyes were 
microscopic, we should daily, hourly, behold 
sights that would appall the stoutest heart. 

Sources of- Germs. — Perhaps we may with 
profit consider for a moment some of the most 
common sources of these deadly enemies to hu- 
man life. We need not seek long for an illus- 
tration of the source from which these unseen 
foes sally forth to prey upon our dearest friends, 
or upon ourselves. Let us picture an average 
human habitation. We have a fine, commodi- 
ous dwelling, ample room, plenty of comforts of 
•every sort, every convenience that money can 
procure or ingenuity devise. It would seem that 



38 THE HOUSEHOLD 

the occupants ought to be hale and hearty ; but 
they are not. Every now and then death makes 
a visit to the household, carrying off its brightest 
members, ruthlessly slaying father, mother, 
brother, sister, whether in the prime of life or 
in feeble infancy. Why this sacrifice, this ruth- 
less slaughter ? Who are the invisible monsters 
invading this happy circle ? In olden times it 
would have been said, ' ' An evil spirit hath done 
this ; " but the days of witchcraft and supersti- 
tion have gone by, and we must look for some 
more rational solution of the mystery. 

A Cellar Investigated. — Let us look around. 
We will begin our investigation at the lowest por- 
tion of the house, and proceed to examine the cel- 
lar. The sense of smell at once informs us that a 
quantity of decaying vegetables has accumulated 
there, having been undisturbed, perhaps, for 
months, and are pouring forth into the air deadly 
emanations, the effect of which has already 
been described. Through the open cellar door, 
through the cracks in the floor, through the por- 
ous partitions, and through a thousand channels, 
this stagnant, poison-laden air finds its way to 
the living-apartments of the household, and into 
the lungs of the occupants. Every nook and 
corner of the dwelling is haunted by that pesti- 
lential, disease-producing odor. 

A Peep into a Kitchen. — We ascend to the 
kitchen. Here we find an accumulation of what 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 39 

everybody recognizes as kitchen smells. In one 
corner stands the antiquated wood-box, the 
mute receptacle of a hundred things besides its 
daily supply of fuel. If the witnesses were not 
mute, we might listen to a surprising tale of 
insanitary transgressions connected with that 
homely piece of furniture. Let us turn out upon 
the floor the contents, and scrutinize them. 
Shade of Hygeia, what a smell ! The nose 
makes protest with a sneeze. Suppress your 
emotions, and proceed to examine. Rotten 
bark, decomposing apple cores, odds and ends 
of almost every imaginable eatable, the rem- 
nants of the cozy nest in which several genera- 
tions of mice have been reared, a moldy, putres- 
cent conglomeration of everything perishable 
that enters a household, teeming with filth, red- 
olent with putrefaction, and crawling with ver- 
min, — such are the contents of the average 
kitchen wood-box. Not a few such have we 
seen, and a still larger number, out of sight but 
conveniently near, we have smelled. 

In another corner is the inevitable "sink," 
made of wood, and saturated with decomposing 
dishwater. Hiding in its secret corners are 
ancient rags in an advanced state of decay ; and 
the drainpipe connected with its bottom, affords 
an open channel for the ingress of pestilential 
odors from the cesspool just outside the door. 

The plastered walls, saturated with the ac- 



40 THE HOUSEHOLD 

cumulations of a quarter of a century, pour forth 
an odoriferous stream of gaseous filth, which is 
unobserved only because overpowered by the 
other sources of contamination. 

A Pantry Full of Germs. — But we must 
not omit to take a peep into the pantry close at 
hand, before proceeding elsewhere with our in- 
vestigations. I wonder if the goddess of health 
ever looked into a modern pantry ! If she did, 
it is a marvel that she did not send her emblem- 
atic serpent on a commission of punishment 
among the cooks, for such flagrant infractions of 
her laws. Our olfactories are the only guide 
necessary to enable us to discover the where- 
abouts of the precious corner where are hoarded 
the provisions -for daily consumption by the fam- 
ily. An odor of sourness, which betrays unmis- 
takably the presence of decomposing milk, leads 
us to the door-way of the pantry, and we enter 
to make a closer inspection. With the excep- 
tion of a few pans of milk which has lost its use- 
ful properties, and acquired some which are not 
useful, all looks neat and orderly ; a musty odor 
not perceptible, perhaps, to those who have be- 
come accustomed to it, but apparent and signifi- 
cant to the sensitive olfactories of a sanitarian, at- 
tracts our attention to sundry drawers and corners 
which might otherwise have escaped notice. We 
will not pain the sensibilities of our hearers with 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 4 1 

all the possible revelations from an investigation 
of the hidden recesses of the ordinary pantry. 
Fragments of moldy bread, stale food of various 
kinds, perhaps a churn, with its souring, fer- 
menting contents awaiting the weekly churning- 
day, are but a few of the items which would be 
included in a complete inventory. It is a mag- 
nificent place for germs of every description to 
hold high carnival. And they do. Every 
housewife knows that a pan of fresh milk placed 
in a close room or pantry alongside a pan of 
sour milk, sours much sooner than if set in a 
perfectly fresh and wholesome place. 

A Sitting-Room Inspected. — Let us take 
a look into the sitting-room, the chief living- 
room of the house. Here again we are pretty 
sure to find a wood-box, nicely painted or pa- 
pered outside, but no less uninviting inside than 
its humble brother in the kitchen. We find no 
kitchen sink with its unsavory odors, but that 
source of contamination is within easy smelling 
distance, and so is still able to do its work of 
mischief. So, too, the putrescent fumes from 
the cellar and pantry are plainly perceptible, 
and the walls are covered with a layer of decom- 
posable matter condensed from the vapors rising 
from the cooking of vegetables, boiling of soiled 
garments, and other culinary and domestic oper- 
ations. Many other such layers have been 



42 THE HOUSEHOLD 

formed and buried by the new layer of paper 
and paste added every two or three years, or of- 
tener, until, as we have seen in some instances, 
as many as eight or ten layers may be counted. 
Where could a more fertile field for germs or 
parasitic fungi be found ? 

A dark spot a foot or two in diameter marks 
the place where, as the housekeeper says, the 
paper has been stained as the result of a defect- 
ive roof. A close inspection shows something 
more than a stain — a flourishing crop of mold. 
Put a speck of that same mold under the micro- 
scope, and we behold a forest. Every twig 
bears fine, large, round fruit, which consists of 
sacs filled with minute specks called spores. 
Some of the sacs are ripe and bursting, throwing 
the spores with which they are filled in every di- 
rection. This what is taking place on the wall, 
and those same spores fill the air all around, get- 
ting into the dough and making the bread sour, 
creeping into the fruit cans, stealing into the 
pantry, and spoiling the labor of the housewife 
in a hundred ways, besides creating a musty 
odor which is constantly inhaled by the occu- 
pants of the house, and possibly conveying to 
them the seeds of disease and death. 

A beautiful carpet upon the floor conceals 
beneath its delicate shades a conglomerate ac- 
cumulation of contributions from every source 
of impurity within the dwelling and without. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 45 

Let the children romp about the room a few 
minutes, and see what a cloud of witnesses arise 
to testify that the shades of death are lurking- 
just beneath its graceful patterns. Every day 
in the year this ' ' Pandora's box " is compelled, 
by a vigorous application of the housewife's 
broom, to send out its miscellaneous store. 
Each sweep of the broom raises a cloud of germs 
and spores, and decomposing and decomposable 
fragments garnered from the kitchen, the yard, 
the street, the gutter, — a thousand sources, until 
the air becomes almost as opaque as the densest 
fog. Every living occupant of the room pru- 
dently retires, even to the household cat, except 
the sweeper, who plies her broom with industri- 
ous activity, with head and nose enveloped in 
the folds of a handkerchief, which acts as a pro- 
tector and a strainer. When the commotion is 
ended, the dusty filth settles upon the tops of 
bookcases, cupboards, and other articles of fur- 
niture, among the folds of lace window cur- 
tains, upon the ceiling and walls of the room, 
and wherever it can find lodgment. Pretty soon 
the housekeeper comes back, and with a duster 
stirs up anew the dust which has settled upon 
tables, chairs, window sills, picture-frames, and 
other articles within easy reach, driving it up to 
higher lodgment, from which it is destined to 
be constantly swept by currents of air, move- 
ments of windows, swinging of hanging articles, 



44 THE HOUSEHOLD 

and in various ways to be breathed, after all, by 
the daily occupants of the house, who thought to 
escape by avoiding the commotion created by 
the morning's sweeping. Such air, like the 
mines of Nevada, has "millions in it," all alive, 
and ready to develop, in a fertile soil, into dis- 
ease and death. 

An Infected Parlor. — But we have not seen 
all yet. Here is the parlor, with its close, fusty 
smell, and its chilly dampness. An ' ' odor of 
sanctity " pervades the place. It is sacred to 
use on great occasions, when its death-dealing 
walls are made to witness the still more deadly 
depredations of a fashionable festival. Upon 
its cold walls are condensed the steam from 
kitchen and wash-room, and the organic filth 
carried with it. ' ' What makes the walls of 
my parlor sweat so ? " has been asked me many 
times by housekeepers who were annoyed by 
the dampness of their parlor walls and ceiling, 
often giving rise to mold and mildew. The ex- 
planation is already given. The sunshine never 
gets into this sacred corner of the dwelling, or 
at most only a glimmer now and then. Its 
walls are never disinfected by the sun's full, 
warm rays. Hence its air is constantly charged 
with death-dealing properties, which are ready 
to exhibit their potency whenever favorable op- 
portunity affords. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 45 

A Death-Trap. — And there is the parlor bed- 
room, a veritable death-trap, containing all the 
dangers enumerated for the contiguous apart- 
ments, and more. How many useful clergy- 
men have been sacrificed at the very hight of 
their usefulness by incarceration in some of 
these insanitary bedrooms ! How many itiner- 
ant missionaries have arisen after a night spent 
in such a place, with rheumatism or consump- 
tion fastened upon them ! 

Unhealthful Sleeping-Rooms. — Let us as- 
cend to the upper part of the house. Here, 
you may say, we shall find a better condition 
of things. No kitchen with its foul smells, no 
pantry with its decomposing food, less dust, and 
no wood-boxes ; but we must not congratulate 
ourselves too soon. Here is an open stairway 
in direct communication with the lower rooms ; 
and the heated air from below, which ascends 
to the apartments above, carries with it its 
gleanings from cellar, sink, pantry, dusty car- 
pets, moldy walls, fermenting wood-boxes, and 
the various contributions to the insanitary con- 
dition of the house, so that the upper rooms be- 
come a receptacle for the overflow from below. 
Closets, garrets, and unventilated rooms in the 
upper part of a house become, in time, charged 
with most virulent enemies to health. 

What's under the House? — We have not 



46 THE HOUSEHOLD 

finished our indoor inspection ; but we must 
hasten, so let us make a survey of the exterior. 
But before we pass to the outside, let us pause 
a moment to ascertain the cause of that peculiar 
sickening odor which seems to emanate from the 
hall. The occupants of the house say they no- 
ticed a bad smell there last fall, and now as 
the warm days of spring are coming on, it has 
reappeared. What is it ? Each member of the 
family has sniffed it, and scolded at it, and 
echoed ' ' What is it ? " a hundred times. It is 
not moldy walls nor full wood-boxes ; gas from 
the sink-pipe, nor decaying vegetables in the 
cellar ; sourness from the pantry, nor ancient 
dust from under the carpet. Possibly it may 
be something under the floor. No one has ever 
taken the trouble to look and see, as the space 
under the floor is not spacious enough for one 
to visit without considerable inconvenience ; be- 
sides, there is no ready means of access to the 
inclosure except by making a hole through a 
stone wall, and so the matter has not been 
investigated. Suppose we step outside, and 
undertake the task. What do we find? — Per- 
haps a dozen rats who were fed arsenic in the 
cellar or pantry, and sought out this as a con- 
venient place to die in, or may be maliciously 
thought to retaliate for their own poisoning by 
poisoning their destroyers. Perhaps the pet 
rabbit which mysteriously disappeared a few 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 47 

months ago, apprehending approaching death 
from surfeiting, has sought this secluded spot 
to breathe his last, as evidenced by his decom- 
posing remains. At any rate, there is great 
need of the services of a scavenger, and we 
wonder how it would be possible to invent a 
more ingenious contrivance for accomplishing 
the physical ruin of a family, if such a fiendish 
design were to be executed. 

Sanitary Survey of a Back Yard. — Now 
let us glance around a little. The front yard is 
orderly and inviting, of course. Graveled 
walks, a smoothly cut lawn, a few elegant shrubs 
and evergreens, all suggest the highest degree of 
neatness and good taste. Let us step around to 
the back yard. What a contrast ! Close by 
the door stands a garbage-barrel, which testifies 
to at least two of the senses that its history goes 
far back into the dim past. Once a week the 
milkman comes with a cart, and empties the un- 
savory receptable, stirring to the bottom its reek- 
ing contents. (Let me whisper in parenthesis 
that some of the same comes back in tin cans 
and earthen jars. Swill-milk is not an un- 
known article, even in rural districts, where hay 
and grain bring a good price.) At all hours of 
the day and night this half-rotten receptacle of 
decomposing organic matter sends cut upon the 
air its filthy emanations. 

Near by is a brown-looking spot of earth, over 



4» THE HOUSEHOLD 

which are eagerly crawling myriads of the first in- 
sects of the season, and from which ascends a 
noxious vapor, visible in the cool morning air, 
but not difficult to discover if not visible, by its 
pungent, nauseating odor. This, the gardener 
explains, is the dumping place for the dishpan 
and the washtub since the drainpipe became 
clogged, a few months ago. Frozen up during the 
winter, it was annoying only by its unsightly ap- 
pearance ; but now that the vernal sun has come, 
the accumulation of months sends forth a con- 
stant stream of noisome smells, which are too 
often experienced to need further description. 

A rod or two from the house we notice a little 
depression in the ground, This, we learn, is 
the location of the cesspool. The boards which 
once formed its roof have rotted away, and al- 
lowed the overlying earth to drop into the re- 
ceptacle beneath, which originally consisted of a 
bottomless box or barrel, half-filled with stones, 
and connected with the kitchen sink by means 
of a long wooden box. The wood has now 
nearly disappeared, a few rotten fragments only 
remaining. Out of this putrescent hole rises a 
stench which finds no counterpart elsewhere than 
in a similar contrivance for domestic poisoning. 
Horrible, nauseating, loathsome, are faint words 
to describe the dense vapors which ascend from 
this repository of liquid filth. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 49 

A few feet distant is an edifice which we are at 
a loss to know how to describe. A correspond- 
ent was in the same predicament when he sent 
us a clipping for publication which he said was 
"rescued from a place consigned to infamy." 
The edifice referred to probably ought to have 
been consigned to infamy, if it had not been, 
and the same should be said of most others of 
the same class. Though carefully guarded from 
observation by a close lattice covered by clam- 
bering vines, its presence is easily detected, and 
that without close proximity. How often, as we 
walk along the streets at night, does the air, 
which Heaven sends us pure, sweet, and potent 
with life-giving energies, come laden with poi- 
sonous exhalations from dozens of such sources, 
and freighted with the agencies of death. The 
vault of an outhouse often becomes a much more 
dangerous enemy to human life than a powder- 
-magazine or a nitro-glycerine factory ; yet the 
latter are by law required to be located far apart 
from human habitations, while the former is tol- 
erated in the closest proximity to human dwell- 
ings, often even under the same roof with human 
beings. 

Death in the Well. — In the midst of all: 
these sources of the most dangerous filth, is lo- 
cated the well, from which is to be daily drawn 
one of the most essential of the necessaries of 



50 THE HOUSEHOLD 

life. Is it any wonder that the cup of life is of- 
ten transformed into the cup of death ? Only 
think of the condition of a family with Death 
enthroned in the well, and daily dealing out his 
poisonous draughts to its members ! The mys- 
terious Providence which deprives a family of its 
loved ones through the agency of typhoid fever, 
may, in a majority of instances, be proved to be 
a mysterious connection between the well and a 
privy vault or cesspool. 

A settler in a new country generally digs two 
holes in the ground after erecting his humble 
cottage. Into one goes all the filth, offal, and 
slops ; out of the other comes all the water for 
family use. These holes are usually so near to- 
gether that the contents mingle, so that what 
goes into one comes out of the other. In an old- 
settled country, a man in making a home digs 
two or three holes for filth and one for water, so 
that the latter is often surrounded by the former. 
As most of the water from the well is returned 
to the holes for the reception of filth, a very 
large share of it may find its way back to its ori- 
ginal source, — a very economical arrangement 
when the water supply is short, so far as the 
water is concerned, but not to be recommended 
if health and long life are valued. 

If we inquire the location of the cistern, we 
shall very likely find it under the house, and 
conveniently near the drainpipe, so that in case 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 5 1 

of leakage of the pipe, the foul water from the 
sink may find its way with the greatest facility 
into the cistern. 

At no great distance we may find a stable 
with its filthy accumulations, which are drenched 
at every rain, and contaminate the soil for many 
feet around, and to an unknown depth. Here 
is another probable contributor to the water 
supply. We have seen scores of wells located 
in the barnyard, so as to be convenient for wat- 
ering the stock, and used for culinary purposes 
as well, if not in any other way, in the form of 
milk, beef, pork, or mutton. 

Some one may imagine that this picture is 
highly colored ; but the experienced sanitarian 
will certainly say we have not told half the truth. 
If our eyes were possessed of microscopic power, 
we should see about us in many of the houses we 
visit — perhaps in the very ones in which we re- 
side — a spectacle more surprising than that 
which met the gaze of the man of old whose 
eyes were opened for a moment, enabling him to 
see a mountain covered with armed hosts who 
were invisible to his natural eyes. But the hosts 
we should see would not be an army of brave 
soldiers coming to our rescue from disease, but 
the emissaries of death in countless numbers, in- 
tent upon our destruction, ready to pounce 
down upon us at the first favorable opportunity, 
to rack us with pain, and finally devour us. 



52 THE HOUSEHOLD 

Disposal of Germ-Breeding Matter. — But 

we must now come to the practical question, 
What shall be done with this decomposing 
matter ? Its constant occurrence is unavoida- 
ble, but we can so dispose of it as to avoid the 
dangers which have no more than been hinted 
at in this connection. 

Cellars under a house are rather prejudicial to 
health, even at best. As 'they are commonly 
used, they are very greatly so. If there must be 
a cellar beneath the house, it should be large, 
light, and well ventilated. Every week, at least, 
the cellar windows should be opened wide, to al- 
low free change of air. A good way to ventilate 
a cellar is to extend from it a pipe to the kitchen 
chimney. The draft in the chimney will carry 
away the gases which would otherwise find their 
way into the rooms above. 

Cellars should be kept clear of decaying vege- 
tables, wood, wet coal, and mold. The walls 
should be frequently whitewashed, or washed 
with a strong solution of copperas. The impor- 
tance of some of these simple measures cannot 
well be over-estimated. 

Houses should be built so high above the 
ground that the space beneath can be easily 
cleared every few months. 

Cesspools. — How to avoid contamination of 
the air in our homes from drains, sewers, and 
cesspools should be a question of vital interest. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 53 

How shall this evil be corrected ? In cities the 
problem is a difficult one, unless sewers can 
be replaced by the dry-earth system. In the 
country, and in small towns, it is easily remedied 
thus : — 

Make the cesspool some little distance from 
the house. Place in communication with it a 
wooden ventilating flue sixteen or eighteen feet 
in hight, and four to six inches square inside. 
This will carry off the foul gases under ordinary 
circumstances, but it will sometimes be found in- 
efficient ; hence a water-trap should be formed 
in the drainpipe, just beneath the sink, by bend- 
ing the pipe so that it will constantly retain 
three or four inches of water. 

A still better way is to connect the drainpipe 
with the chimney or stovepipe, by means of a 
pipe of suitable size. This will secure ventila- 
tion of the drain ; and if the connecting pipe 
joins the drainpipe just beneath the sink, the 
protection will be perfect. All joints should be 
air-tight, and the outlet from the sink should be 
plugged tightly when there is no fire in stoves 
communicating with the chimney. 

Another valuable precaution is this : Pour into 
the sink, two or three times a week, a gallon of 
water in which two pounds of copperas have been 
dissolved. A few crystals of copperas kept con- 
stantly in the sink could do no harm. Copperas 
is very cheap when bought by the quantity. 



54 THE HOUSEHOLD 

A new cesspool should be made at least once 
a year, or the old one should be thoroughly 
cleaned. 

Bedrooms, Beds, and Bedding. — Never 
sleep in a room which has been unused for 
weeks, unaired, unwarmed, and secluded from 
sunlight, at least until the bedding has been 
thoroughly aired and dried, and the air of the 
room thoroughly changed by ventilation. Never 
offer such a room for the accommodation of a 
guest without treating it in the same way. 

The bed-clothing should be dry and warm. 
A cold bed is necessarily a damp bed, as it con- 
denses moisture from the body of the sleeper as 
well as from the air of the room. A damp bed- 
room becomes musty. Thus a person sleeping 
in such a bed is not only debilitated by the loss 
of animal heat, but is poisoned by the inhala- 
tion of the musty, germ-laden air which he is 
compelled to breathe during at least a third of 
the twenty-four hours. A sleeping-room should 
always contain a stove, unless heated by a fur- 
nace or from an adjoining and communicating 
room. The bedroom should not be too warm, 
but should be heated sufficiently to insure dry- 
ness. 

Bed-clothing and mattresses should be thor- 
oughly aired daily, and should be exposed to the 
direct rays of the sun whenever possible. The 
Italian custom of leaving the bedding exposed to 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 5$ 

the air during the entire day is a good one. 
By this means the excretions accumulated from 
the body during the night are mostly removed. 

Bed-clothing should be of porous material ; 
otherwise the skin cannot breathe any more 
than could the lungs with a rubber blanket 
thrown over the head and gathered tightly about 
the neck. Porous coverings also allow the es- 
cape of the greater portion of the moisture ex- 
creted by the skin, which amounts to not less 
than half a pint to a pint during the night. 
Several thin coverings are much better than one 
or two heavy comfortables. Woolen blankets 
are most suitable, being both light and warm as 
well as porous. 

Feather-beds are very unhealthful. They 
not only undergo a slow decomposition them- 
selves, thus evolving foul and poisonous gases, 
but they a'bsorb the fetid exhalations from the 
body which are thrown off during sleep. By 
constant absorption, the accumulation soon be- 
comes very great, and the feather-bed becomes 
a hotbed of disease. Hair, cotton, straw, or 
husk mattresses are greatly superior to feathers 
from the standpoint of health. 

Do n't cling to the old feather-bed because it 
is an heirloom. The older it is, the worse it is. 
Only think of the amount of disease germs 
which must be stowed away in a sack of feathers 
which has done service during a hundred years 



56 THE HOUSEHOLD 

or more ! Subject to all the accidents and emer- 
gencies of domestic life, it has, perhaps, carried 
a half-dozen patients through typhoid fever, and 
pillowed the last months of the gradual dissolu- 
tion of a consumptive, besides being in constant 
use the balance of the time. 

Outhouses. — Deep vaults under an outhouse 
should never be tolerated under any circum- 
stances. The best way to manage a privy is this : 
Early in the spring fill up the old vault, if there is 
one, even with the surface. Raise the building a 
little. Have made at the tin-shop a sufficient 
number of pans of thick sheet iron. The pans 
should be about two feet square, and two and a 
half inches deep. Each should be furnished 
with a long bail, and a strong handle at one 
side about a foot in length. In using these 
pans, fill each half full of fine, dry dirt — not 
sand — or ashes, and shove it into position, al- 
lowing the bail to fall back upon the handle be- 
hind. By the addition of a little dry dirt several 
times a day, all foul odors will be prevented. 
The contents of the pans ought to be removed 
every night in the warmest weather of summer, 
the pans being replaced with a fresh supply of 
dry earth. During cooler weather, if little used, 
the pans will require emptying but once a week, 
if they are kept well supplied with dry earth. 
The contents of the pans may be buried, or 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 57 

removed to a proper place at a distance from 
any dwelling. 

For convenience, it is found to be an excel- 
lent plan to hire a scavenger to attend to the 
pans at regular, stated times. Fifteen or twenty 
in a community can unite on the same plan, and 
thus make the expense very slight for each. 

About the first of December, the pans may be 
removed and a shallow vault dug. The vault 
should not exceed two feet in depth, and it 
should not be tightly inclosed. This will allow 
the contents of the vault to freeze. They may 
be removed several times during the winter, and 
should be kept covered with dry dirt, which 
should be procured in sufficient quantity in the 
fall. 

To Destroy Foul Odors. — Abundance of 
fresh air is the best deodorizer. There is no 
substitute for ventilation. Pure air washes away 
foul smells as water washes away dirt. One re- 
moves material filth, the other gaseous filth. If 
the offensive body is movable, be sure to remove 
it. If not, apply something to destroy it. Sev- 
eral agents will effect this. 

If it can be safely done, set fire to the foul 
mass ; or, if this is undesirable, heat it almost 
to the burning point. 

Apply very dry, finely pulverized earth. Clay 
is the best material. Finely powdered charcoal 



58 THE HOUSEHOLD 

which has been freshly burned, is quite as good 
as earth. Dry coal or wood ashes are most ex- 
cellent for disinfecting purposes. 

Make a solution of permanganate of potash, 
dissolving one ounce in a gallon of water. Add 
this to the offensive solid or fluid until it is col- 
ored like the solution. This is an excellent de- 
odorizer. It is needed in every household. A 
supply of the solution should be kept constantly 
on hand ready for use. 

Copperas, dissolved in water, in proportion of 
two pounds to the gallon, is cheaper, and may 
be used when large quantities are needed. Ap- 
ply it freely. 

Chlorine gas, chloride of lime, ozone, and nu- 
merous other agents, are effective when rightly 
used. 

Barnyards. — The close proximity of barn- 
yards, hencoops, and hogpens to human dwell- 
ings is a frequent cause of serious and fatal dis- 
ease. The germs which are developed in the 
filth abounding in those places, together with the 
noxious gases constantly arising from the decom- 
posing excreta, are productive of disease when 
received into the system. Often, indeed, the 
well from which the family supply of water is 
obtained will be located only a few feet from a 
reeking barnyard, or as we have more than once 
seen, the well will, for convenience, be located 
within the yard itself. In consequence of the 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 59 

proximity, the water of the well will be contam- 
inated by the soluble filth which percolates down 
through the porous earth and finds its way into 
the underground veins of water by which the 
well is fed. 

Notwithstanding all these dangers, there are 
people who, incredible as it may seem, still hold 
to the absurd idea generated in the Dark Ages, 
when the streets of every city were one immense 
reeking cess-pool, that foul smells originating in 
the filthy ordure of horses and cows possess 
some healing properties. Not long ago, when 
we appealed to a man to clear his barnyard, 
which had become a positive nuisance, being not 
more than a half a dozen feet from the threshold 
of a dwelling-house, he retorted that he had al- 
ways been informed, and as he thought by good 
authority, that a barnyard smell was the ' ' health- 
iest kind of a smell, and was especially good 
for consumptives." If there is such an absurd 
error prevalent, it ought certainly to be cor- 
rected. No foul, noxious odor can possibly 
be conducive to health. Barnyards should be 
located at least forty or fifty rods away from 
the dwelling, and wells should be nearly as far 
removed from such sources of poisoning, to 
insure against water contamination, which is 
one of the most common causes of typhoid 
fever. 

A Backyard Prescription. — A practical 



60 THE HOUSEHOLD 

country doctor was once asked by a patient whose 
premises were in a sadly unsanitary condition, 
what would be the best disinfectant to provide 
for hot weather. The doctor promised a pre- 
scription, if the patient would get it filled and 
use it. This being agreed to, it was written out 
as follows : — 

' ' Rake i , shovel i , wheelbarrow i . Direc- 
tions : Use vigorously every twenty-four hours 
until relieved. This prescription always works 
well. " 

House-Cleaning. — The semi-annual house- 
cleaning, although not a pleasant experience, is 
just as necessary as the original building of the 
house. Some important things are often over- 
looked in the general hurry and confusion. 

The closets, garrets, clothes-rooms, stairways, 
and similar places need thorough renovation as 
well as more conspicuous rooms. The steam 
and gases from the kitchen find their way into 
all parts of the house, and are absorbed by the 
porous walls, or condense upon the woodwork. 
If not removed, they become sources of disease. 
The spare bedroom and the parlor must not be 
neglected on account of having been little used, 
for the same reason. 

New wall paper should never be put on over 
old. The fresh paste, by its moisture, causes 
the fermentation of the old paste and the pro- 
duction of foul gases from the colors of the pa- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 6 1 

per and the impurities which have been absorbed. 
If the old paper contained arsenic, the danger is 
increased tenfold, as arseniureted hydrogen is 
formed, one of the most fatal gases known. 
House-cleaning is one of the most important 
parts of domestic labor, and should not be 
trusted wholly to ignorant servants. It should 
be done under the constant supervision of an in- 
telligent and thoroughgoing person. A little 
neglect to examine and thoroughly cleanse ev- 
ery nook and corner may result in the sacrifice 
of a human life. Too much importance cannot 
be attached to the necessity of care and pains- 
taking in this matter. 

Every dwelling should be thoroughly cleansed 
at least twice a year. Wood-boxes should be 
banished from the living-room. Old carpets, 
with their accumulated dust, should be taken 
up and thoroughly beaten and cleansed, or 
better still, exchanged for hard-wood floors, 
well oiled, and covered, so far as necessary, 
with loose rugs, which can be removed and 
shaken every day. Bed-ticks should be refilled 
if straw, is used, every bed should be carefully 
examined for vermin, and a general renovation 
should take place. 

Sunshine. — In caves, mines, and other places 
which are excluded from the light, plants do not 
grow, or, at most, they attain only a sickly de- 
velopment. The same is true of animals. In 



-62 THE HOUSEHOLD 

the deep valleys among the Alps of Switzerland, 
the sun shines only a few hours each day. In 
consequence, the inhabitants suffer terribly from 
scrofula and other diseases indicative of poor nu- 
trition. The women, almost without exception, 
are deformed by huge goiters, which hang pend- 
ant from their necks unless suspended by a sling. 
A considerable portion of the males are idiots. 
Higher up on the sides of the mountains, the in- 
habitants are remarkably hardy, and are well 
developed, physically and mentally. The only 
difference in their modes of life is the greater 
amount of sunshine higher up the mountain side. 
When the poor unfortunates below are carried 
up the mountain, they rapidly improve. 

Throw open the blinds and draw aside the 
window curtains. Never mind if the carpets do 
fade a little sooner. The pale cheeks will ac- 
quire a deeper hue, and the sallow skins will be- 
come of a more healthy color. 

A sitting-room ought to be on the east or 
south side of a house, so that sunlight will be 
plentiful. House plants will not thrive in a 
north room. Women and children, who live 
mostly in the house, thrive no better in such a 
situation than plants. Sleeping-rooms should 
be aired and sunned every day. 

Japanese Babies. — Dr. Small recently stated 
before the Royal Asiatic Association of Japan, 
that the mortality of Japanese babies is very 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 63 

small as compared with that of American babies. 
He attributes this fact to the good ventilation se- 
cured by the loose construction of Japanese 
dwellings. These structures are generally made 
so light and airy, and with so many openings for 
the air, that although carbon fires are often used, 
the ventilation is very much better than that 
usually found in the air-tight brick or stone 
houses of foreigners. Certainly, this is a good 
testimony to the value of fresh air for babies. 

Night Air. — A general prejudice exists in the 
world against night air. In part it is justifiable, 
but much of it is unfounded. There is only one 
kind of air in the night, and that is night air. 
The air in the house is night air as much as is 
that out-of-doors. All the air we breathe comes 
from the outside. If the windows and doors are 
shut, it crowds in through the cracks and chinks. 
It makes very little odds, then, whether we 
breathe night air in-doors, or out-of-doors, ex- 
cept that it is rather purer in the latter situation. 
In many localities, night air is purer than day air. 

House Plants in Sleeping-Hooms. — The 
supposition that house plants are injurious in 
chambers and sick-rooms is a popular error. It 
is commonly supposed that plants draw the vital- 
ity of the patient, or poison the atmosphere in 
some way. This is wholly an error, if we ex- 
cept a few of the more strongly scented plants, 
which emit a somewhat poisonous odor, or which 



64 THE HOUSEHOLD 

might in some cases be unpleasant to the senses 
of a nervous patient. Plants cannot draw vi- 
tality from animals. Indeed, they are the one 
great means which make human life possible ; 
for if they did not purify the air, all animals 
would quickly perish. 

Plants inhale carbon di-oxide during the day, 
and exhale oxygen. During the night, they in- 
hale carbon di-oxide the same as in the daytime, 
but exhale a part of it again, along with the ox- 
ygen. They purify the air, then, during the 
night, but less than during the day. 

A mouse and a growing plant can live to- 
gether in an air-tight box. Alone, either one 
would die ; together, they both thrive. Plants 
also remove impurities from the air by means of 
the ozone which they produce, which is one of 
the most powerful disinfectants known. The 
laurel, hyacinth, mint, mignonette, lemon-tree, 
and feverfew are among the best ozone-produc- 
ing flowers. 

The cheerful aspect which flowers give to a 
room, and the pleasant recreation which their 
care affords, are not the least of the advantages 
to be derived from them. 

Keep Glean. — The skin, the superficial cover- 
ing of the whole body, everywhere abounds in 
little mouths, or openings, called pores. There 
are more than 2,000,000 of these openings upon 
the surface of the body. Each one is the exter- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 65' 

nal orifice of a capillary tube which acts as a 
kind of sewer to convey away dead, effete, and! 
decomposing matter from the body. Each of 
these purifying organs is constantly at work, un- 
less its mouth gets obstructed in some way. 
They are especially active in the summer season 
when the weather is warm, pouring out large 
quantities of perspiration, in which the offensive 
matters are held in solution. 

Now let us see what takes place if we pay no 
attention to the natural clothing with which we 
have been kindly provided. The sweat or in- 
sensible perspiration, loaded with impurities, is 
poured out of 2,000,000 little sewers, upon the 
surface of the body. The watery portion evapo- 
rates, leaving behind all the foul matter which it 
contained, which adheres to the skin. This is 
what occurs the first day. The next day an 
equal quantity is deposited in the same way, 
making, with the previous deposit, a thin film of 
dirt covering the skin. The third day the quan- 
tity has augmented to the consistency of varnish. 
The fourth day the person becomes completely 
encased in a quadruple layer of organic filth. 
By the fifth day, fermentation begins, and an 
unsavory and pungent odor is developed. The 
sixth day adds new material to the accumulating 
pollution, and still further increases the intensity 
of the escaping effluvia. Upon the seventh day 
a climax of dirtiness is reached. The penetrat- 



66 THE HOUSEHOLD 

ing, pungent fetor becomes intolerable. The 
person feels as though he had been bathed in 
mucilage or molasses. When he approaches hfe 
more cleanly friends, they look around to see if 
there is not some fragment of carrion adhering 
to his- boot. But the individual himself is un- 
conscious of any unpleasant odor, his nose hav- 
ing become accustomed to the stench ; or if he 
recognizes it, he flatters himself that as no one 
can see the condition of his cuticle, he will 
escape detection. Vain delusion. Every per- 
son whose organ of smell is not wholly obliter- 
ated by snuff or catarrh, will single him out as 
quickly as a dog detects the exact locality of a 
weasel. 

In the winter, one or two general baths each 
week will usually be sufficient to keep a person 
decently clean. But during the hot weeks of 
summer, a daily bath is indispensable. Two or 
three times a week, plenty of soap and water 
should be employed. On other days, a light 
sponge or towel bath will answer. A large 
quantity of water is not always absolutely ne- 
cessary. A person can take a very refreshing 
and useful bath with a soft sponge and a pint 
of water. Such a bath can be taken anywhere 
without the slightest danger of soiling even the 
finest carpet. A simple air bath is better than 
none. 

Cold bathing is not to be recommended. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 6/ 

Robust persons may stand it very well, but it 
is injurious to invalids, and to any one, if long 
continued. The best temperature for most per- 
sons is about blood heat. 

Are not baths weakening ? The weakening 
effect of a simple application of a little water 
to the surface of the body, is not one tenth as 
great as that from carrying about constantly a 
load of dirt upon the skin which not only 
prevents the elimination of impurities from the 
blood, but is actually absorbed into the system 
again. A bath is refreshing, soothing, and 
strengthening, if properly taken. 

Poisonous Paper. — Many cases of poison- 
ing, some of which were fatal, have been traced 
to the arsenic contained in several of the colors 
of wall paper. The most dangerous color is 
green. It is almost impossible to find a green 
paper which does not contain arsenic. Green 
window curtains are especially dangerous. The 
green dust which can be rubbed off from them 
is deadly poison. In rolling and unrolling the 
curtain it is thrown into the air, and is breathed. 
The same poison is brushed off the surface of 
arsenical wall paper into the air, by the rubbing 
of pictures, garments, etc., which come in con- 
tact with it. 

It is very easy to test papers of this kind be- 
fore buying, and it would be wise always to take 
this precaution. Take a piece of the paper, 



68 THE HOUSEHOLD 

hold it over a saucer, and pour upon it strong 
aqua ammonia. If there is any arsenic present, 
this will dissolve it. Collect the liquid in a vial 
or tube, and drop in a crystal of nitrate of silver. 
If there is arsenic present, little yellow crystals 
will make their appearance about the nitrate of 
silver. Arsenical green, when washed with aqua 
ammonia, either changes to blue, or fades. 

Poisonous Aniline Colors. — Red-flannel 
stockings, bright hat linings, and the striped 
stockings which have been so fashionable, have 
occasioned serious poisoning in numerous cases. 
The aniline dyes with which they are colored 
are used in connection with arsenic, which is 
not wholly removed by the manufacturers. 

Hair Dyes and Cosmetics. — Any number of 
"Hair Dyes," "Hair Vigors," "Hair Renew- 
ers," "Hair Tonics," and various other com- 
pounds for application to the hair with the ob- 
ject of restoring its color or promoting its 
growth, have been invented during the last ten 
years. Many of these mixtures claim to be 
purely vegetable, and harmless. This is untrue 
of any of them. They contain, almost without 
exception, a very large amount of mineral poi- 
son. Lead, silver, and sulphur are the most 
common ingredients. The effects of applying 
such articles to the head are very serious. A 
few of the more prominent results are headache, 
vertigo, irritation of the scalp, apoplexy, con- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 69 

gestion of the brain, nervousness, sleeplessness, 
paralysis, and insanity. Numerous instances of 
all these maladies have occurred as the result of 
using ' ' hair dyes. " 

Gray hair is no disgrace. The healthful 
growth of the hair can be promoted by daily 
friction with the ends of the fingers wet in cool 
soft water better than by any nostrum. 

Cosmetics are equally dangerous. We have 
seen hopeless paralysis of the extensor muscles 
of the forearm, causing wrist-drop, produced 
by the use of paints for the complexion. Young 
ladies have destroyed their usefulness for life by 
this foolish practice. Lead colic is another re- 
sult of the use of paints, many of which contain 
lead. Beware of them. 

Hygiene of the Eyes. — These, the most 
delicate of the organs of sense, are often ruined 
by abuse. With good usage they will ' ' last a 
lifetime." It is necessary to observe the follow- 
ing rules, to preserve , the health of the eyes : — 

1. Never use the eyes when they are tired or 
painful, nor with an insufficient or dazzling 
light. Lamps should be shaded. 

2. The light should fall upon the object viewed 
from over the left shoulder, if possible ; it should 
never come from in front. 

3. The room should be moderately cool, and 
the feet should be warm. There should be 
nothing tight about the neck. 



70 THE HOUSEHOLD 

4. Hold the object squarely before the eyes r 
and at just the proper distance. Holding it too 
near produces near-sightedness. Fifteen inches 
is the usual distance. 

5. Never read on the cars, nor when riding in a 
wagon or street-car, nor when lying down. Seri- 
ous disease is produced by these practices. 

6. Do not use the eyes for any delicate work, 
reading or writing, by candlelight, before break- 
fast. 

7. Avoid using the eyes in reading when just 
recovering from illness. 

8. Rest the eyes at short intervals when se- 
verely taxing them, exercising the lungs vigor- 
ously at the same time. 

9. Never play tricks with the eyes, as squint- 
ing or rolling them. 

10. If the eyes are near-sighted or far-sighted, 
procure proper glasses at once. If common 
print must be held nearer than fifteen inches to 
the eye for distinct vision, the person is near- 
sighted. If it is required to be held two or 
three feet from the eye for clear sight, the per- 
son is far-sighted. 

11. A near-sighted person should not read 
with the glasses which enable him to see distant 
objects clearly. 

12. Colored glasses (blue are the best) may be 
worn when the eye is pained by snow or sun- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 7 1 

light, or by a dazzling fire or lamplight. Avoid 
their continued use. 

13. Never patronize traveling venders of spec- 
tacles. 

Tight-Laced Fissure of the Liver. — We 
once found, in Bellevue Hospital, New York 
City, a woman who was suffering under a com- 
plication of maladies which evidently had their 
origin in the foolish practice of tight lacing, to 
which she had been addicted. On making an 
examination of the internal organs, we were 
amazed to find the liver presenting itself just 
above the hip bone,' its normal position being 
entirely above the lower border of the ribs. 
Further examination revealed the fact that in 
about the middle of the organ there was a con- 
striction, or fissure, nearly dividing it in two, 
which had been produced by habitual lacing. 
The function of the organ had been so greatly 
interfered with that it had failed to remove the 
biliary elements from the blood, and they had 
been largely deposited in the skin, making the 
latter anything but beautiful, although the 
woman was not advanced in years, and was 
naturally fair. Thousands of young ladies have 
cut their livers nearly in two in the same way. 
No wonder that they require rouge and French 
chalk to hide their tawny complexions. 

Squeezed to Death. — Not long ago, a young 



72 THE HOUSEHOLD 

lady went to bed without removing her corset, 
as she wished to grow small. When morning 
came, her friends found her a corpse. Thou- 
sands of young ladies are killing themselves in 
this way. They may not die as suddenly, but 
they are dying as surely. 

If any young lady who wears a corset could 
see the terrible havoc which it makes among her 
internal organs, she would be ready to desist 
from so foolish and harmful a practice. If the 
opportunity were afforded her, she would see her 
stomach squeezed out of shape and position so 
as to resemble a dog's much more than a human 
stomach. She would find her lungs compressed 
so that the blood could circulate with freedom 
through only a small portion, while the heart 
must struggle to its utmost to secure even a par- 
tial circulation. The large and small intestines 
she would find all jammed down into a heap in 
the lower part of the abdomen, where they do 
not belong, crowding upon the most delicate or- 
gans of her whole body, displacing and other- 
wise injuring them. 

Any young woman who can deliberately com- 
mit all of these assaults against her physical 
frame while knowing the consequences, is guilty 
of a crime differing from that of suicide only in 
degree. 

Thin Shoes. — Illy-clad feet are not infre- 
quently the cause of very serious disease. A 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 73 

tight shoe prevents the proper circulation of the 
blood in the foot, causing it to become cold. If 
the shoe or boot is thin, the foot is still further 
chilled, and the blood which circulates with diffi- 
culty through it is sent back to the internal or- 
gans with a temperature much below that re- 
quired for health. Exposure to cold causes the 
blood-vessels to so contract that less blood can 
circulate through them. Thus one evil creates 
another. Thin soles, being insufficient protec- 
tion against wet, allow the moisture of damp 
walks to reach the feet, making them wet as 
well as cold. When the extremities are chilled, 
the internal organs and the brain become con- 
gested, too great a quantity of blood being 
crowded into them. This is the chief origin of 
the headaches from which schoolgirls suffer so 
much, but which are usually attributed to study. 

Keep Warm. — Fashionable dress totally dis- 
regards every consideration but novelty and dis- 
play. Fashion loads the shoulders and chests of 
ladies and girls with warm shawls, cloaks, and 
furs, surrounds the abdomen with from ten to 
fourteen thicknesses of cloth, and imprisons the 
hands in a warm fur muff, but leaves the limbs 
and ankles exposed to chilling blasts, almost 
without protection, while they actually need 
more clothing than any other part of the body. 

The whole body should be clad in soft flannel 
from neck to wrists and. ankles nearly the year 



74 THE HOUSEHOLD 

round. It is better to have the underclothing 
for the upper part of the body and that for the 
limbs combined in one garment. If arranged in 
two garments, they should only meet, and not 
overlap, as this gives too much additional heat 
over the abdominal organs. A woman's limbs 
require as many thicknesses of covering as do 
a man's, and a garment which fits the limb 
closely will afford four times the protection given 
by a loose skirt. Thick shoes or boots with high 
tops, and heavy woolen stockings which are 
drawn up outside the undergarments clothing the 
limbs, complete the provision for warmth. Leg- 
gings should be worn in cold weather. 

Improper Eating. — Sir John Hawkshaw, of 
England, declares that railroad traveling is safer 
than eating, since, in England, more persons an- 
nually loce their lives as the result of choking 
themselves through hasty eating than from rail- 
road accidents. If to this number we should add 
those who lay the foundation for chronic disease 
by improper eating, the disproportion in favor 
of the railroads, which kill only one passenger 
for every four millions of miles of travel, would 
be vastly increased. 

The Pepsin Mania. — One of the greatest 
physical needs of the present age, at least in 
this country, is good digestion. The lack of 
digestive ability has created almost a mania for 
swallowing artificial digestive agents of every 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 75 

description. Pepsins of varied origin and in 
various combinations, peptones, peptonoids, and 
every possible preparation for digestive promo- 
tion, are manufactured and sold in prodigious 
quantities, to satisfy the almost universal de- 
mand for something to aid digestion. An emi- 
nent French physician, M. Georges, has made 
examinations of the gastric juice in one hundred 
and forty-two cases of indigestion, and has never 
found pepsin deficient in a single case. In six- 
teen cases, patients were made worse by the use 
of pepsin. Recent researches show that in cases 
of indigestion, if accompanied by pain, the diffi- 
culty is usually a deficiency of the natural acid 
of the gastric juice, rather than a deficiency of 
pepsin, which may be considered as always 
present in sufficient quantity, as a small amount 
.of pepsin will digest a very large amount of 
albumen. 

Effects of Drinking Ice-Water. — It is quite 
common for persons to feel faint and to become 
pale immediately after drinking a glass of ice- 
water. They attribute these effects to heat or 
over-exertion, or to some other cause which has 
nothing to do with the result, not knowing that 
they have so weakened the heart as to prevent 
its sending a due amount of blOod to the lungs 
and brain, and that, had the water been a little 
colder, life would possibly have been extin- 
guished altogether. Direct experiment with in- 



j6 THE HOUSEHOLD 

struments especially devised for the purpose of 
measuring the force of the heart's pulsations, es- 
tablishes the fact that there is no agent of the 
materia medica more powerful with some per- 
sons as a depressant of this organ than a large 
draft of ice-water. Under certain circumstances, 
it acts with all the force and rapidity of prussic 
acid. 

Wholesale Lead Poisoning. — Dr. J. J. Put- 
nam, of Boston, has recently published a report 
of an investigation as regards poisoning by lead, 
from which it appears that paralysis and bowel 
ailments are by no means the most common 
symptoms of lead poisoning. He finds that tre- 
mors, resembling those of paralysis agitans, and 
a great variety of nervous symptoms, are fre- 
quently caused by lead poisoning not sufficient 
in degree to produce bowel troubles or paralysis. 
The investigations were carried on in the city of 
Boston. He found lead in the urine of fifty per 
cent of all the cases examined. This fact exposed 
the fallacy of the popular notion that many waters, 
especially those that are a little hard, protect the 
pipes so perfectly that there is no danger of poi- 
soning, even though lead pipe may be used. An 
investigation of the matter shows that in fifty 
per cent of all the cases in which lead was found, 
the water was obtained through lead pipes. 
The error has been in supposing that bowel 
troubles and paralysis were the chief symptoms 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 7/ 

present in cases of poisoning by lead. It is im- 
portant that all persons living in large cities where 
lead pipes are much used for conveying water, 
should be acquainted with these facts. Water 
which has stood for any length of time in a lead 
pipe, cannot be safely used. 

The Cochineal Test for Lead. — One of the 
most convenient and delicate tests for the pres- 
ence of lead in drinking-water, is the following : 
Dissolve one part of cochineal in one hundred 
parts of proof-spirit. Place two tablespoonfuls 
of the water to be tested in a white porcelain dish. 
Add ten drops of the cochineal solution. If the 
water is free from lead, the color will simply be 
a dilution of the pink tint of the cochineal ; but 
if it contains so small a proportion of lead as 
one part in 700,000, it will be a purplish pink, 
and if there is one part in 70,000, it will be a. 
purplish blue. 

Preventing Consumption. — Old ideas re- 
specting the heredity of consumption are now 
pretty generally discarded, although it is still con- 
ceded that a tendency to the disease may be 
transmitted by heredity. It is now generally be- 
lieved by the most experienced physicians, that 
consumption is almost invariably contracted by 
contagion. In many instances it is easy to trace 
the source of the disease. The following is an 
example : — 

A Nebraska farmer in some way contracted 



78 THE HOUSEHOLD 

the disease, perhaps by eating diseased meat. 
In the course of his illness he was cared for 
by his wife, who had also to support a large 
family of children. The poor woman, knowing 
nothing of the contagiousness of the disease, and 
being pressed beyond endurance with her numer- 
ous cares, sometimes neglected the washing of 
the many cloths soiled by the sputa of her 
sick husband, drying them instead, and rubbing 
them soft between her hands. The dried spu- 
tum, with its active germs, was thus scattered 
in the air, and was undoubtedly inhaled ; for in 
a few months after the death of her husband, 
her own lungs showed signs of the disease, and 
in less than a year she was in her grave. The 
State Board of Health of Maine has thought this 
matter of sufficient importance to warrant the 
issuing of a circular, the greater part of which 
we reproduce in this connection. We wish to 
add one rule, which we are surprised to see 
omitted, viz, that kissing by a consumptive 
should be most emphatically interdicted. We 
know of no means which the consumptive could 
more effectively employ to innoculate his friends 
than kissing ; and yet it is not an uncommon 
thing to see consumptive fathers and mothers 
fondling their children in a way which exposes 
them to as imminent peril of life as though they 
were encountering a storm of rifle bullets, or a 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 79 

bombardment from a thunder cloud. In view 
of these facts it is not remarkable, to say the 
least, that young children often suffer from 
tubercular troubles of the brain, tubercular en- 
largement of glands about the neck, and other 
tuberculous maladies. The following are the 
rules referred to : — 

' ' It should be impressed upon consumptive 
patients, and other persons living with them, 
that the sputum (that which is coughed up) is 
dangerous, and must be properly disposed of. 

' ' The sputum should be received in a spit-cup 
or spittoon containing a little water or disinfec- 
ting fluid, and must never be spit upon floors or 
carpets, or received in handkerchiefs. 

' ' If occasionally it is necessary to have hand- 
kerchiefs or cloths soiled with the sputum, they 
should be boiled as soon as possible, and before 
drying. 

' < The spittoon should be of such shape that 
the sputum may easily fall into the water with- 
out soiling the sides of the vessel. For patients 
not able to sit up, a small spit-cup with a handle 
should be used. When flies are present, it 
should be covered. 

' ' Spit-cups and spittoons should be emptied 
and cleansed often with boiling water and potash 
soap. When the house has a drainage system, 
the contents may be poured down the water- 



80 THE HOUSEHOLD 

closet or slop-hopper ; when it has not, they 
should be buried in ground which will not be 
turned up soon. 

' ' The sputum should not be thrown out upon 
the surface of the ground near inhabited places, 
nor upon manure heaps, nor where animals may 
get it, nor where it may soil animal food. 

' ' Boxes filled with sand or sawdust should 
-not be used. Cheap wooden and pasteboard 
spit-cups are now on the market, one of which 
may be burned daily or oftener with its contents, 
as a convenient way of disposing of the sputa. 
A pocket spit-flask of small size has been devised 
which may be used while away from home. 

' ' The floors, woodwork, and furniture of the 
rooms in which consumptive patients stay should 
be wiped with a damp cloth, not dusted in the 
usual way. 

"The patient's clothing should be kept by 
itself, and thoroughly boiled at the washing. 

"The patient should be made to understand 
that in neglecting these measures he is imperiling 
his friends, and at the same time diminishing 
very much his own chances of recovery, by re- 
infecting himself with the inhalation of his own 
dried and pulverized sputum. 

' ' After a death from this disease has oc- 
curred, the patients room, clothing, and bed 
should be disinfected. For this purpose, boil 
all bed and personal clothing, or disinfect them 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 51 

when practicable in a steam disinfector ; wash 
furniture, woodwork, walls, and floors with car- 
bolic acid, and thoroughly expose the rooms to 
light and air. 

' 4 If raw milk is used as food, especially if it 
is to be given to children, an assurance should 
be had that the cows which produce it are per- 
fectly healthy and subjected to healthful treat- 
ment. 

. ' ' When there is any doubt as to the health of 
the cows, the milk should be boiled before use. 

"Thorough cooking will remove all danger of 
tuberculosis through the medium of the meat- 
supply. 

' ' Tuberculous mothers, and those inclined to 
consumption, should never nurse their babes. " 

By observing the rules which are expressed 
and suggested in the foregoing, the principal, if 
not all, danger of infection may be avoided. 

The open-air treatment of consumptives and 
those who are threatened with tuberculous dis- 
ease, has given much better results than any 
other. Particularly in Germany, and to some 
extent in this country, such treatment has been 
systematized in "sanitaria" for consumptives.. 
Here the patients have the advantages of a 
regular life, nutritious food, and such exercise 
as they can bear without fatigue ; but the chief 
curative agent is an abundance of fresh air. 
Even in the coldest of winter weather, patients, 



%2 THE HOUSEHOLD 

after a period of gradual habituation, and always 
guided by the judgment of the physician, pass 
the whole day walking in the open air or sitting 
or lying on resting-places, wrapped comfortably 
in blankets. Usually no claim is made for ad- 
vantages of climate. An abundance of pure air 
is the all-important thing. 

Disinfection of Cuspidors. — The Board of 
Health of Paris has commanded the disinfection 
of cuspidors used by consumptive patients. This 
practice ought to be universally followed. Com- 
plete disinfection may be effected by simply pour- 
ing into the cuspidor four or five times the vol- 
ume of its contents of boiling water. 

To Kill Germs. — Turpentine is one of the 
best germicides. It will destroy not only mi- 
crobes, but their spores. It has the advantage 
over mercuric bi-chloride, in that it is not likely 
to be the occasion of fatal poisoning, though it 
must be remembered that it is highly inflamma- 
ble. Its unpleasant odor will doubtless prevent 
its coming into general use as a disinfectant. 
Add one part of turpentine to four of the mat- 
ter to be disinfected. 

An Agreeable Disinfectant. — A sanitary 
journal offers the following recipe for an agreea- 
ble disinfectant, which doubtless is of some value, 
although we would hesitate to depend upon it as 
an agent for the thorough destruction of germs : 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 83 

To four parts essence of rosemary, add one part 
each of essence of lavender and thyme, and eight 
parts nitric acid. Shake the bottle containing 
the mixture, and pour a portion of it upon a 
sponge and allow it to evaporate. The vapor 
given off is agreeable, and is doubtless, to some 
degree, disinfecting. 

The Value of Pure "Water. — Water is the 
most universal of solvents. The greater its pu- 
rity, the greater its solvent properties ; that is, 
the less foreign substance the water contains, 
the more it is capable of taking up. The tissues 
of the body contain many poisonous substances 
which must be dissolved and removed, that the 
body may be maintained in a state of health. 
At least two or three pints of water are needed 
daily for this purpose. If the water is impure, 
hard, or contains mineral substances of any sort, 
its value in the body as a solvent is lessened, 
and it may become a source of disease. The 
purest water is unquestionably the best, and no 
outlay in money for the purpose of supplying 
the necessities to a family or to a community, 
can be more wisely invested than in providing 
an ample supply of pure soft water. Distilled 
water has been found of great service in the 
treatment of various forms of disease, particu- 
larly diseases of the liver and the kidneys. In 
hard-water districts where a sufficient amount 



84 THE HOUSEHOLD 

of rain-water for a year's supply cannot be col- 
lected and properly preserved, some simple form 
of distilling apparatus may be employed. 

Exercise. — Laziness undoubtedly kills ten 
persons where work kills one. The business 
man is worn out at forty when he ought to be 
in his prime, not because he has done so much 
work, but because he has so much neglected 
muscular work. Good muscles are as necessary 
for good brain work as they are for digging 
canals or building railroads. Nerve tone de- 
pends on purity of blood, which is only to be 
secured by a proper amount of daily exercise. 
Many a man has lost his health by striking an 
oil-well or a gas-well or some other source of 
sudden wealth. When he was a laboring man, 
and earned his bread by the sweat of his brow, 
he had a good appetite, good sleep, good diges- 
tion, and good spirits. Nightmares, neuralgias, 
and "blue devils" never trouble such a man. 
When he gets rich, and sits down in an office 
in an easy chair, rides to his place of business 
in a cushioned carriage, and imagines that he is 
enjoying life, he begins to prepare for himself a' 
day of retribution which will surely come ; and 
the punishment which will be visited upon him 
will not be for too much work, but for too little 
work. 

Men often worry themselves into a state of 
disease, but mental work as well as physical 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 85 

labor is in the highest degree healthful when a 
proper amount of muscular work is combined 
with it. The trouble is that the majority of 
mental workers seem to entertain about the 
same idea concerning exercise as did the Irish- 
man in the story. While a fellow-passenger 
walked the deck of the ship for exercise, during 
a long voyage across the Atlantic, an Irishman, 
also a passenger, lay flat on his back, looking 
straight at the mast-head. When admonished 
that he should take some exercise, he replied, 
' ' But where's the need of exercise ? Does n't 
the captain say the ship is carrying us two hun- 
dred miles a day ? Sure, that's exercise enough 
for any one. " 

Bed-Chamber Smothering. — During the 
cold season in northern latitudes, the average 
bed-chamber not infrequently becomes a verit- 
able death-trap. With windows, doors, and 
even every crack and keyhole tightly stopped, 
the occupants breathe over and over again for 
the hundredth and thousandth time, a vitiated 
atmosphere laden with noxious gases and pois- 
onous excretions to an extent little short of 
deadly. Indeed, a bed-chamber atmosphere 
such as described, is veritably death-dealing in 
its influence. The only wonder is that its occu- 
pants have so long survived, and that it is not 
more often immediately fatal in its effects. Not 
infrequently, the pernicious qualities of the at- 



86 THE HOUSEHOLD 

mosphere of an unventilated bed-chamber, are 
intensified by surrounding the bed with close 
curtains, so that the noxious inhalations from 
the bed of the sleeper are returned still more 
dense and potently active. 

A bed-chamber should always be well ventil- 
ated. Cold air is better than poisoned air. If 
possible, furnish a good supply of warm, pure 
air for every sleeping-room. Every room in the 
house should be thus provided, but especially 
the sleeping-rooms, and the bed itself should be 
so placed that the sleeper will enjoy the freest 
possible circulation of air. Travelers on sleep- 
ing-cars, especially those occupying lower berths, 
are often half smothered in the little compart- 
ments in which they are confined by the parti- 
tions and heavy curtains. Some provision 
should be made for the ventilation of these com- 
partments, to permit the escape of air made 
foul by many occupants. In the meantime, 
travelers would do well to secure the best air- 
supply the oft overheated car affords, by leav- 
ing the curtains open sufficiently to allow a cir- 
culation, be it ever so little. 

William Cullen Bryant's Mode of Life.— 
In the winter of 1871, while still in his prime, 
this eminent scholar and poet, who preserved 
his vigor and activity to a very advanced age,— 
finally dying, not from old age or disease, but 
from exposure,— thus described his habits of life 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 87 

as regards diet, exercise, etc., in a letter to a 
friend : — 

' ' I rise early, at this time of the year about 
5 : 30 ; in summer, half an hour or even an hour 
earlier. Immediately, with little incumbrance 
of clothing, I begin a series of exercises, for the 
most part designed to expand the chest and at 
the same time call into action all the muscles 
and articulations of the body. These are per- 
formed with dumb-bells, the very lightest, cov- 
ered with flannel, with a pole, a horizontal bar, 
and a light chair swung around my head. After 
a full hour, and sometimes more, passed in this 
manner, I bathe from head to foot. When at 
my place in the country, I sometimes shorten 
my exercise in the chamber, and, going out, oc- 
cupy myself for half an hour or more in some 
work which requires brisk exercise. After my 
bath, if breakfast is not ready, I sit down to my 
studies till I am called. My breakfast is a sim- 
ple one, — hominy and milk, or in place of hominy, 
brown bread, or oatmeal, or wheaten grits, and 
in the season baked sweet apples. Animal food 
I never take at breakfast. Tea and coffee I 
never touch at any time. Sometimes I take a 
cup of chocolate, which has no narcotic effect, 
and agrees with me very well. At breakfast, I 
often take fruit, either in its natural state or 
freshly stewed. After breakfast, I occupy my- 
self for a while with my studies, and then, when 



88 THE HOUSEHOLD 

in town, I walk down to the office of the Evening 
Post, nearly three miles distant, and after about 
three hours, return, always walking, whatever 
be the weather or the state of the streets. In 
the country, I am engaged in my literary tasks 
till a feeling of weariness drives me out into the 
open air, and I go upon my farm or into the gar- 
den, and prune the fruit-trees or perform such 
other work about them as they need, and then 
go back to my books. I do not often drive out, 
preferring to walk. 

• ' In the country I dine early, and it is only at 
that meal that I take either meat or fish, and of 
these but a moderate quantity, making my din- 
ner mostly of vegetables. At the meal which is 
called tea, I take only a little bread and butter, 
with fruit, if it be on the table. In town, where 
I dine later, I make but two meals a day. Fruit 
makes a considerable part of my diet. My drink 
is water. I am a natural temperance man, find- 
ing myself rather confused than exhilarated by 
wine. I never meddle with tobacco, except to 
quarrel with its use. That I may rise early, I 
of course go to bed early ; in town, as early as 
ten ; in the country, somewhat earlier. For 
many years I have avoided, in the evening, every 
kind of literary occupation which tasks the fac- 
ulties, such as composition, even to the writing 
of letters, for the reason that it excites the nerv- 
ous system and prevents sound sleep. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 89 

' ' My brother told me not long since that he 
had seen in a Chicago newspaper, and several 
other Western journals, a paragraph in which it 
was said that I am in the habit of taking quinine 
as a stimulant, that I have depended on the ex- 
citement it produces in writing my verses, and 
that in consequence of using it in that way I 
had become deaf as a post. As to my deafness, 
you know that to be false, and the rest of the 
story is equally so. I abominate all drugs and 
narcotics, and have always carefully avoided 
everything which spurs nature to exertions which 
it would not otherwise make. Even with my 
food I do not take the usual condiments, such as 
pepper and the like." 

Vegetarian Athletes. — The bodyguard of 
the late Emperor William was made up of men 
of great physical powers, averaging in hight 
from six to six and one half feet. These men 
were natives of a mountainous district in Ger- 
many in which little or no meat is used as an 
article of diet. 

Clothing for Children. — Much is said in 
these days concerning the rights of children, 
tut there is certainly no right to which every 
child is more surely entitled than that of per- 
fect physical health. It should be one of the 
first considerations of every mother to secure 
such conditions for her children as will insure 
them sound bodies and good health, not only 



90 THE HOUSEHOLD 

because health will bring them the greatest 
range of comfort, but because it is the means 
through which the highest and best possibilities 
of life are attained. It is a well-established 
fact that proper clothing is one of the basic fac- 
tors in the promotion of health, not only in 
adult life, but through all the years from child- 
hood up ; in fact, at no time in life is there 
greater need of care respecting the proper cloth- 
ing of the body, than during the period of growth 
and development. Childhood is the time to es- 
tablish the foundation for future health and 
strength ; for in matters pertaining to health, 
as well as in those of mental growth, the prin- 
ciple holds true that ' ' the farther back we be- 
gin, the more momentum we gain." Many 
mothers are slow to recognize this fact, and 
while they often dress themselves so as to se- 
cure warmth and ease, their little ones are made 
to suffer from the injurious constraint of such 
clothing as will make the tiny creatures appear 
the more charming and dainty, regardless of 
health and comfort. 

One of the first requirements of healthful 
clothing is that it allow unrestrained action of 
every organ of the body. This is absolutely es- 
sential for perfect development, so long as the 
body is undergoing the process of growth. We 
believe that mothers often unwittingly violate 
this principle in the dressing of their children, 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 9 1 

by compelling them to wear clothing which they 
have partially outgrown, but which is not suffi- 
ciently worn to be discarded. Tight sleeves, 
tight bands, tight waists, etc., which have be- 
come such from the child's increased size, are 
certainly quite as harmful as those purposely so 
constructed ; and added to this is the fact that 
the bones and muscles of the tender little ones 
are far more susceptible to the constriction of. 
tight clothing than are those of persons of older 
growth. 

The clothing of children should always be so 
made that it can readily be enlarged to accom- 
modate the growing form, and should never fit 
so snugly as not to allow perfect freedom of 
movement to every organ. Whatever garments 
are worn about the chest and waist should al- 
ways permit of an unrestrained, full inspiration, 
and it would be an excellent plan if the mother 
would frequently test the child's breathing ca- 
pacity, by placing a tape-measure around its 
waist when in its night-clothing, and allowing 
it to take a full inspiration, noting the number 
of inches expansion, and then adjust the cloth- 
ing to correspond with the measure of the full 
inspiration, allowing an inch or two more for 
growth. 

Careful attention should also be paid that 
neither through misfit or shrinkage the little 
one's under-garments are so short as to come 



92 THE HOUSEHOLD 

above the ankle. The sleeves, too, should 
reach to the wrist. Any one who has experi- 
enced the chilling sensation occasioned by wear- 
ing even for a few hours a garment the sleeves 
of which were shorter than those habitually 
worn, will at once realize that serious colds are 
likely to result from the wearing of under-gar- 
ments with shrunken or outgrown sleeves. 
Seemingly little things, you say, and yet be- 
cause they are so small they are the more often 
overlooked. There are few growing children 
that do not need their flannels lengthened once 
or more during a season, to make them serve 
the true purpose of healthful clothing. Let 
mothers also exercise great care in the washing of 
the children's flannel under-garments, to prevent 
unnecessary shrinkage ; for who can doubt that 
many a croup and cold has resulted from the 
change from one garment to another shrunken 
through careless washing until it was several 
inches shorter than the one removed ? 

Another essential qualification of healthful 
clothing is equable warmth for all portions of 
the body. Although much has been written on 
this subject, and the number of sensible mothers 
who give this matter attention is far greater than 
formerly, there are still many thousands of little 
ones who might be saved from early death if 
warmly and equably clad. As has been often 
said, the material best fitted as a first covering 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 95. 

for the body, is some fabric of wool, which 
should be worn throughout the year, being of 
lighter or heavier material, in accordance with 
the degree of external cold. 

Many mothers provide their little ones with 
some form of flannel under-garments, and then 
consider that because the proper kind of mate- 
rial has been supplied, the child is healthfully 
clothed. The fact that a garment is of flannel, 
is no proof that it meets the just-quoted require- 
ment of healthful dress. In perhaps the majority 
of cases, these garments are vest and drawers 
which overlap each other about the central por- 
tion of the body, making a double thickness of 
covering over that region which least needs it, 
because it contains the vital organs, and is thus 
much less liable to suffer from cold ; while the 
limbs and arms, which need warmer covering 
because farther away from the source of bodily 
heat, have but one thickness, and that often so 
abridged in length as to reach but little below 
the elbows and knees, leaving a space between 
it and the tops of the child's shoes only covered 
by the stocking, which if of ordinary merino or 
cashmere, is but little warmer than cotton, al- 
though it answers to the name of woolen. The 
fierce winds of autumn and winter chill the 
little feet and limbs quite as quickly through this 
less-protecte f d space as though the entire limbs 
were exposed. 



94 THE HOUSEHOLD 

If children's garments are purchased in two 
pieces, they should be combined into one by 
cutting the vest off at the bottom and joining it 
to the drawers in some careful manner. This 
necessitates so much remodeling that unless one 
can purchase suitable combination suits ready 
made, it is preferable to buy the material and 
make the garments. 

When children are taken for a walk or al- 
lowed to play out-of-doors, provide equal pro- 
tection for all parts of the body. Without 
doubt many a serious illness has resulted from 
muffling the little one's throat in furs while al- 
lowing its limbs to go with no more covering 
than was customarily worn indoors. The open 
space about the throat between the hood and 
cloak should always be protected, but it should 
not be overheated by an excess of wrappings. 
Whatever degree of warmth is required for com- 
fort for any portion of the body, is necessary for 
other parts as well, and children's outdoor gar- 
ments should be such as will secure an equal ad- 
ditional increase of warmth to the entire body, 
proportionate to the severity of the weather. 

The foot covering of the little ones should 
likewise be carefully looked to in this connec- 
tion. Much suffering is entailed upon children 
by cramping their little feet into shoes too small 
or too narrow for them ; and cold feet are not 
infrequently the result of having the shoes but- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 95 

toned tightly about the ankles, under the mis- 
taken notion that the ankles are really sup- 
ported by being thus tightly incased in leather. 
Children's shoes when purchased, if not already 
sufficiently loose, should have the buttons set 
forward until the finger can be easily inserted 
the entire length between the shoe and stock- 
ing. Nature has provided the ankle with suffi- 
cient support, in ordinary cases, and a tightly 
laced or buttoned shoe not only does not aid 
nature in supporting the ankle, but actually 
weakens the muscles and impedes the circula- 
tion, the same as does a tight ligature around 
any other portion of the body. High heels on 
children's shoes should never be tolerated, and, 
indeed, raised heels of any hight are objection- 
able, and wholly avoidable, since shoes with 
spring heels can be obtained in children's and 
misses' sizes, of nearly all dealers. 

Harmful Restrictions of Dress. — A muscle 
tied up is rendered as helpless as though it were 
paralyzed. When a muscle acts, it does so by 
swelling out in thickness, while contracting in 
length. From this it will be evident that if a 
tight band is put around a muscle in such a 
manner as to prevent its expansion or increase 
in thickness, it cannot possibly act. Hence, a 
fundamental requisite of healthful muscular ac- 
tion is entire freedom from restraint. Freedom 
of movement is indispensable to complete ac- 



0/6 THE HOUSEHOLD 

tion and perfect development. When a broken 
arm is done up in a splint for a few weeks, 
upon removing the bandage it is usually found 
that the arm has shrunken in size ; the muscles 
have wasted, partly in consequence of pressure, 
and parti)- on account of their enforced inaction. 

The very same thing happens whenever pres- 
sure is brought to bear upon the muscular 
tissues. A ring worn upon a finger causes 
atrophy, or wasting of the tissues beneath it. 
By placing an elastic band around soft tissues 
they may be absorbed altogether, in conse- 
quence of the pressure. This action has been 
taken advantage of for the removal of tumors in 
certain parts of the body. 

The elastic bands worn about the leg to keep 
the stocking in place, and sometimes used upon 
the arm to hold the sleeve up, are more harm- 
ful than is usually imagined. The long stock- 
ings worn by females bring the elastic just above 
the knee, where the large blood-vessels of the 
limb come near the surface and are in position 
to be compressed against the thigh-bone in such 
a way as to impede the circulation. It is not to 
be wondered at that under these circumstances, 
in addition to the evil of thin stockings and thin, 
tight shoes, there should seem to be a necessity 
for artificial calves, which we are informed on 
creditable authority have actually been em- 
ployed. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 97 

Whether garters are elastic or inelastic, the 
effect is essentially the same. They interfere 
with the circulation of the blood in the lower 
limbs, and often produce varicose veins. Cold 
feet and headache are the ordinary results of 
their use. Schoolgirls suffer greatly from their 
injurious effects. 

Heavy Skirts. — Those heavy skirts, varying 
in number from three to seven or more, all sus- 
pended from the waist, and pulling down upon 
the hips, are enough to drag the life out of a 
Hercules. A strong man would not endure for a 
single day one tenth of the discomfort which a 
fashionable woman suffers every day of her life. 
It is useless for woman to think of rising above 
her present level while she is bound down by 
the burdens imposed by heavy, trailing skirts. 

The unnecessary and injurious weight occa- 
sioned by superfluous length and number of 
skirts, is greatly increased by the addition upon 
the outer garment of an indefinite number of 
flounces, folds, heavy overskirts, and various 
other useless accessories. 

But the evils and inconveniences above re- 
ferred to are not the worst which result from the 
wearing of so great a weight of clothing as is 
customary among fashionable people. The most 
serious consequences are those which are suf- 
fered by the delicate internal organs. The many 
heavy skirts and under-garments which are hung 



g$ THE HOUSEHOLD 

about the waist with no support from above, 
drag down the organs of the abdomen, and after 
a time the slender ligaments which hold them in 
place give way, and various kinds of displace- 
ments and other derangements occur. The tight- 
ness with which the garments are drawn at the 
waist greatly increases the injury. 

The custom of wearing the pantaloons but- 
toned tightly at the top, and sustained by the 
hips, produced so much disease even among the 
hardy soldiers of the Russian army, that a law 
was enacted making the wearing of suspenders 
•compulsory. If strong men suffer thus, how 
much greater must be the injury to frail, delicate 
women ! The constant pressure and unnatural 
heat to which the lower part of the back is sub- 
jected, is one of the chief causes of the frequency 
of kidney diseases among women. Here is found 
the source of "weak back," lumbago, pain in the 
side, and several other diseases of the trunk 
which affect so many thousands of American 
women. 



FOODS 



Man is made of what he eats. Good food 
and drink make good blood ; and good blood is 
manufactured into healthy brains and strong 
bones and muscles. Poor food and improper 
drinks make poor and foul blood, which, in 
turn, is made into equally poor brains, bones, 
and muscles. 

Those who pay no attention to the character 
of their food, but hurry into their stomachs, in- 
discriminately, that which is good, bad, and 
indifferent, are sooner or later admonished by 
disease and suffering that the way of the trans- 
gressor is hard, and that nature's laws are inex- 
orable. America is known abroad as a nation 
of dyspeptics. This unfortunate condition is the 
result of the universal disregard of dietetic rules 
for which our countrymen are notorious. Atten- 
tion to a few plain principles would save many 
thousands of lives annually. A large number of 
the most fatal acute diseases have their chief 
cause in errors of diet. 

Poor Food. — Impoverished food is that which 
does not contain all the elements of which the 
body is built up, in proper proportion. Perhaps 



jOO THE HOUSEHOLD 

the poorest article of food in common use in this 
country is fine-flour bread. The miller removes 
the very best and most nutritious portion of the 
wheat by the process of bolting ; for the gluten, 
which nourishes brain and muscle, is deposited 
around the outside of the grain, just beneath the 
horny covering, or bran. In the center of the 
grain is found almost nothing but pure starch, 
which is so incapable of sustaining life that even 
a dog will starve to death in a short time if fed 
upon it exclusively. 

Of such material nearly all American bread is 
made. Most other nations are wiser in this re- 
spect than we. The sturdy German eats his 
black bread made of the whole grain, with a 
keen appetite, and it makes his muscles firm and 
his sinews strong in spite of the pernicious influ- 
ence of his favorite lager beer. Whole- wheat 
or graham bread is incomparably sweeter, richer, 
cheaper, and healthier than that made of super- 
fine, bolted, impoverished flour. 

Eccentricities in Diet. — It is sometimes 
useful for those who imagine that the appetite 
is always a safe guide in matters of dietetics, to 
consider the subject from the practical stand- 
point of a study of the dietary of different na- 
tionalities. A traveler has taken pains to gather 
the following illustrations of the differences, in 
taste manifested by different nations : — 

' « The preference of the Chinese for food that 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. IOI 

seems to our appetites absolutely disgusting, is 
well known. In Canton, rats sell for fifty cents 
a dozen, and dog's bind quarters command a 
higher price than lamb or mutton. Fancy eat- 
ing birds'-nests worth thirty dollars a pound ! 
This is what a mandarin revels in. The French 
have beguiled us into eating frogs' legs, which 
were once tabooed in this country, and we have 
even come to esteem diseased goose liver, in the 
form of pate de foic gras. The writer has met 
Brazilians who rave over boa-constrictor steaks, 
and count monkeys and parrots a very good 
meal. In the West Indies, baked snake is a 
common dish, as the reptiles abound, and it is 
a good way of getting rid of them. But when 
it comes to frying palm-worms in fat, one would 
think the stomach would rebel. It is not so, 
however, though by a strange inconsistency, 
stewed rabbit is looked upon with disgust. On 
the Pacific Coast the Digger Indians eat dried 
locusts, and in the Argentine Republic, skunk 
flesh is a dainty. Our own favorite bivalve, the 
oyster, is very disgusting to a Turk, while the 
devil-fish, eaten in Corsica, is equally so to us. 
We cannot understand, either, how the inhab- 
itants of the West Indies and the Pacific Coast 
can eat lizard's eggs with a relish ; still less, 
how the eggs of the turtle and alligator can be- 
come a favorite article of diet. The Brazilians 
eat ants, probably to get rid of them, for they 



102 THE HOUSEHOLD 

literally infest the country, and are of an enor- 
mous size. It is easy to pick up a handful of 
ants almost anywhere, though the wary do not 
go about it in this way, as the pestiferous insects 
bite in a most vicious manner. A curry of ants' 
eggs is a great delicacy in Siam, and the Cingal- 
ese eat the bees whose honey they have stolen. 
The Chinese, who seem to have stomachs like 
the ostrich, eat the chrysalis of the silk-worm, 
after unwinding the cocoon. Spiders are used 
in New Caledonia as a kind of dessert, while 
caterpillars are also relished by the African 
bushmen." 

Effect of Diet on the Liver. — Almost every 
other man we meet is complaining about his 
liver. One has a ' ' torpid " liver ; another has 
"congestion" of the liver; another has a pain 
in his side which he is confident is due to dis- 
turbance of his liver. Complaints are loud and 
general against the liver, but no one thinks of 
entering a complaint against the diet, which is 
the real source of difficulty. Careful investiga- 
tion and examination of the liver, after death, 
have proven the deleterious effect which certain 
articles of food have upon this organ. 

Condiments. — Every day a hundred thous- 
and dyspeptics sigh and groan in consequence of 
condiments. Pepper, spice, salt, vinegar, mus- 
tard, and all kinds of fats belong to the list of 
dyspepsia-producing articles known as condi- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 103 

merits. All the works on diet define a condi- 
ment as an article which adds nothing to the 
real nutritive value of food. It is simply some- 
thing which is added to make food taste better. 
Whether the food does taste better or not does 
not depend upon the condiment, but upon the 
taste of the eater. If his taste is unperverted, 
he likes food best without condiments. If his 
taste is perverted, he may like almost any kind 
of unnatural combination. A Frenchman is as 
fond of asafetida in his food as an American is 
of salt, or an East Indian of curry powder. 

Condiments are innutritious and irritating. 
They induce a heated condition of the system 
which is very unfavorable to health. They clog 
the liver, imposing upon it a great addition to 
its rightful task. Worst of all, they irritate the 
digestive organs, impairing their tone and de- 
ranging their function. A little practice soon 
accustoms a person to the disuse of condiments, 
and he learns to relish his food better without 
than with them. 

Spices. — The almost universal fondness for 
spices is a curious illustration of the readiness 
with which the simplicity of the natural taste 
may become depraved. Pepper was used before 
400 b. c. Pliny speaks of its use in his day, 
and expresses his astonishment that men should 
esteem it so highly when it has not a sweet 
taste, nor attractive appearance, nor any other 



104 THE HOUSEHOLD 

desirable quality. We can heartily sympathize 
with Pliny in his astonishment. 

Nutmegs and mace are quite extensively used 
as spices in this country and in Europe ; but 
neither one is ever used as a condiment in the 
country from which they were first brought, the 
Isles of Banda. 

Facts about Salt.— It is a general supposition 
that salt is indispensable as an article of diet. 
Many people suppose that life cannot be sus- 
tained without it ; nevertheless there are numer- 
ous facts which indicate that this popular sup- 
position is erroneous. The following are a few 
of the many that might be presented : — 

i . Salt is a mineral. It is a well-established 
fact that animal life cannot be sustained by the 
use of inorganic or mineral substances as food. 
Plants subsist upon inorganic matter, while 
animals require organized matter for their food. 

2. Salt is an irritant, and when taken into 
the system it produces irritating effects. This 
is indicated by dryness of the throat and ac- 
celeration of the pulse. 

3. When taken into the system it is not used, 
being expelled, unchanged, by the liver, kid- 
neys, skin, and other depurating organs. 

4. It is an antiseptic, and when taken in any 
considerable quantities greatly interferes with 
digestion. 

5. 77 is not necessary to support animal life, 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. IO5 

as shown by the fact that its use is confined to a 
very small minority of the animal kingdom. 

6. // is not necessary to sustain human life, 
as is conclusively shown by several facts : (i.) 
Scores of persons who have been accustomed to 
its use have wholly discarded it, not only with- 
out detriment to their health, but with positive 
improvement. (2.) Millions of human beings 
in Central and Southern Africa, in South Amer- 
ica, in some portions of North America, in Si- 
beria, and in other parts of the world, subsist 
entirely without salt. (3.) This is not alto- 
gether because salt cannot be obtained ; for in 
Southern Africa, where salt abounds, neither 
human beings nor lower animals make any use 
of it whatever. 

We would not recommend that salt should be 
wholly discarded in all cases ; but there can be 
no doubt that many cases of disease of the 
stomach and liver originate in the excessive use 
of salt. Persons suffering with torpid livers will 
find great benefit by abstaining almost wholly 
from its use, together with that of other condi- 
ments. 

A gentleman who has just returned from a 
visit to England states that many of the En- 
glish stock-raisers who are noted for producing 
the finest cattle in the world, never think of 
feeding their cattle salt, as is so commonly 
practiced in this country. 



106 THE HOUSEHOLD 

Tea and Coffee. — One of the most common 
causes of dyspepsia, ' ' liver complaint, " and nerv- 
ousness, is the use of tea and coffee. The in- 
jury resulting from the use of these beverages is 
attributable to several evils. 

i . The active principle of both tea and coffee 
is theine, or caffeine, a narcotic poison, which is 
fatal in other than small doses. Although not 
fatal in small doses, it produces, nevertheless, a 
decidedly injurious effect. The full injury is not 
seen at once, neither does it appear in a few 
months ; but the integrity of the digestive and 
nervous systems is stea&ily, though slowly, un- 
dermined. Chocolate and cocoa occasion pre- 
cisely the same effects, though they are less 
powerful. 

2. The tannin contained in an infusion of tea 
or coffee disturbs digestion by rendering inert 
the gastric juice, one of the most essential digest- 
ive agents. 

Hundreds have found a cure for dyspepsia, 
sick-headache, nervousness, and wakefulness at 
night, in discarding tea and coffee and all their 
substitutes. 

Tea-Eaters. — That tea belongs to that select 
class of substances commonly known as ' ' vice 
drugs," conspicuous examples of which are al- 
cohol, opium, and tobacco, many may be loath 
to admit ; but facts enable us to make this as- 
sertion without successful contradiction. For 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 107 

years there has existed in the East End of 
London a tea-drinking club consisting of news- 
paper reporters, who every Saturday night have 
a spree on tea, as the result of which the mem- 
bers frequently become intoxicated as if under 
the influence of liquor. Several cases of de- 
lirium tremens from the use of tea have re- 
cently been reported in the medical journals, 
and according to recent reports, cases of in- 
toxication from the use of tea are now becom- 
ing so serious in Boston that persons are some- 
times found under arrest for disorderly conduct 
while under the influence of this drug. Our 
readers will be interested in the following quota- 
tion from the Boston correspondent of a West- 
ern journal, which appears under the heading, 
' ' Women Who Eat Tea " : — 

' ' Two servants who were hauled up before a 
Police Justice here the other day, charged with 
creating a rumpus, indignantly denied having 
been drunk. They said they had been some- 
what under the influence of tea, which was re- 
sponsible for their eccentric behavior. 

" 'But,' remarked the Judge, 'I never knew 
that any one could become really intoxicated 
from the drinking of tea.' 

' ' ' No more they can, yer Honor, ' was the 
reply ; ' We ate it. ' 

"It is becoming quite a popular vice in Bos- 
ton, and presumably elsewhere, — this tea-eating. 



IO.X THE HOUSEHOLD 

And curiously enough, its victims are mostly 
-found among the 'help,' who, having the house- 
hold tea-caddy always accessable, get accus- 
tomed to helping themselves from it, a pinch 
at a time of the dry leaves. These they chew, 
thus extracting the alkaloid, which is a toxic 
agent of the most powerful description. Its 
first effect is an agreeable exhilaration. Ulti- 
mately it produces sleeplessness and an abnor- 
mal condition of mind, with strange wishes and 
delirium. It is an amusing fact, by the way, 
that when tea was first brought to England, 
about the year 1665, it was served experiment- 
ally for eating from a bowl, like spinach. For 
a long time after that it was regarded as a 
deadly drug, and people who sold it were con- 
sidered disreputable." 

Coffee Topers. — The following description of 
the effect of coffee-using at Essen, the home of 
the Krupps, famous as the manufacturers of the 
ponderous cannon now being sought after by 
all military nations, is taken from the British 
Medical Journal : — 

' ' The great industrial center around Essen in- 
cludes a very large female population. Whilst 



that has stood too long, it appears that the 
workmen's wives at Essen drink coffee from 
morning to night. Some consume over a pound 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. IO9 

of Ceylon coffee weekly, and one pound contains 
over sixty-four grains of caffeine. In conse- 
quence, nervous, muscular, and circulatory dis- 
turbances are frequent. The nerve symptoms 
are characterized by a feeling of general weak- 
ness, depression of spirits, and aversion for labor 
even in industrious subjects, with headache and 
insomnia. A strong dose of coffee causes the 
disappearance of these symptoms. The mus- 
cular symptoms consist of distinct muscular 
weakness, and trembling of the hands, even in 
rest. The circulatory symptoms are marked by 
small, rapid, irregular pulse, and feeble impulse 
of the heart. Palpitations and heaviness in the 
pericardial region are frequent. The hands and 
feet feel very cold, and the complexion becomes 
sallow. Dyspeptic symptoms, chiefly of the 
nervous type, are very common. Acne rosacea 
is seen in a large number of sufferers. 

' ' These coffee-drinkers cannot be cured by 
simple abstention from their favorite drink, with 
substitution of milk as a beverage. They re- 
quire rest from work, open-air exercise, and 
cold ablutions, followed by friction." 

An Erroneous Notion about Meat-Eating. 
— Nothing could be more erroneous than the 
popular belief that the use of flesh food is essen- 
tial to physical or mental strength. The fact 
seems to have been forgotten that some of the 
most powerful nations of antiquity were non- 



IIO THE HOUSEHOLD 

flesh-eaters. It is an interesting fact that all the 
nations of history who attained any remarkable 
ascendency, were practically vegetarians. The 
early Assyrians and Egyptians were vegetarians 
on account of their religious belief. The Per- 
sians, the Greeks, and the Romans, as well as 
other lesser nations, were, at an early period of 
their history, vegetarian in their dietetic habits. 
Barley was the meat of the hardy Roman sol- 
dier, who carried an armor which a modern man 
could scarcely lift. The Greek and the Roman 
poets pictured the Golden Age, their ideal of a 
happy human existence, as a period in which 
flesh-eating and the slaughter of animals were 
unknown. Pythagoras, perhaps the most fam- 
ous of early Grecian philosophers and teachers, 
also a physician, was a vegetarian, and most vig- 
orously opposed the practice of flesh-eating, 
which at that time (about five centuries before 
the Christian era) was becoming common among 
his countrymen. Greece had already begun to 
degenerate, and the free use of the flesh of ani- 
mals may have been either a result or, in part, a 
cause of this degeneracy. 

The moral influence of flesh-eating, accom- 
panied as it must necessarily be by the wholesale 
slaughter of animals, is most distinctly debasing 
and brutalizing. The man who habitually takes 
the life of dumb brutes, and steels his heart 
against their piteous appeals for mercy, is nee- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. I IT 

essarily made less susceptible to those influences 
and sentiments which are the best safeguards of 
human life in civilized communities. The boy 
murderer who some years ago was tried for the 
murder of his playmates from no other motive 
than natural blood-thirstiness, was the son of a 
butcher, — a fact which suggests a multitude of 
horrible reflections respecting the hereditary in- 
fluence growing out of this slaughter of the in- 
nocents. 

The strength of the ox, the elephant, the 
useful horse, and the mammoth hippopotamus, 
the fleetness of the reindeer, and the agility of 
the chamois, are derived from the natural prod- 
ucts of the earth, and not from flesh. Second- 
hand food does not afford that degree of efficiency 
as a sustenance which is supplied by the purest 
products of the vegetable world. Flesh does not 
afford the elements most needed for the replen- 
ishment of strength, either physical or mental. 
Force is most readily derived from the products 
of the vegetable kingdom. A good example of 
this fact is afforded by the natives of the Canary 
Islands. The remarkably fine development and 
the astonishing vigor of these people have been 
observed by many travelers. All visitors to 
their island home attribute to the simple food of 
this people their superiority over the average of 
mankind in physique and ability to endure labor 
and hardship. The food of the Canary Islander 



I I 2 THE HOUSEHOLD 

is almost exclusively composed of a single article, 
known as gofio, of which a writer in a contem- 
porary journal speaks as follows: — 

' ' There is nothing mysterious about this food. 
It is simply the flour made from any of the ce- 
reals, but parched or roasted before grinding. 
One can scarcely pass through any village of the 
Canaries without witnessing some step in the 
preparation of this food. The grain is first 
picked over, then roasted above a charcoal fire, 
and afterward ground at the windmills, which 
abound everywhere. When it is to be eaten, 
milk or water is mixed with it, and it is taken 
without further cooking. Nothing can be more 
'handy' than such an article of food. The Ca- 
narian laborer, if he goes forth to his work alone, 
takes with him some gofio in a bag made of the 
stomach of a kid ; if there are several persons, 
the skin of a kid is used. When meal-time has 
arrived, a little water is poured into the bag with 
the gofio, the mixture is well shaken, and the 
meal is prepared without further ado. 

' ' The Canary Archipelago consists of seven 
inhabited islands, with a population of two hun- 
dred and eighty thousand persons. At least 
two hundred thousand of them live economically 
on gofio, as their fathers did before them from 
time immemorial. The food is said to be not 
only delicious and wholesome for those who are 
not accustomed to it, but to possess also a ten- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. I I 3 

dency to counteract certain digestive ills to which 
the civilized stomach is heir, thus restoring man, 
in a measure, to the physical condition of the 
happy savage." 

Physicians are doubtless largely responsible for 
the mistaken notions which generally prevail re- 
specting the special value of flesh as a nutriment. 
Nothing is more common than the prescription of 
an extra quantity of beefsteak, or some other 
form of flesh food, for a patient who needs build- 
ing up. We are acquainted with one physician 
who frequently prescribes a diet consisting wholly 
of flesh food. Many such patients have, at va- 
rious times, fallen under our professional care, 
and we have frequently seen the best results fol- 
low the almost total interdiction of meat. In 
fact, we have not infrequently found it necessary 
to prescribe flesh food altogether for a time, be- 
fore our patients could be made to show percep- 
tible signs of improvement. The prescription of 
meat is by no means so frequently followed by 
improvement in strength as is generally sup- 
posed. Indeed, in the words of an eminent. 
New York physician, Dr. Geo. H. Fox, — 

' ' How often it is noted that the roast beef and* 
beefsteak prescribed by the physician with a view- 
to building up his patient's strength, fails utterly 
in effecting the desired result ! Indeed, my ex- 
perience and observation have seemed to teach 
that much of the lassitude, biliousness, headache, 



114 THE HOUSEHOLD 

constipation, and depression of spirits from which 
many individuals suffer, is directly caused by an 
excessive ingestion of albuminoid elements of 
food, such as meat, milk, and eggs." 

In the opinion of Dr. Fox, what feeble people 
require is not so much tonics, etc. , as "an in- 
creased amount of exercise, together with a sim- 
ple farinaceous diet, to promote strength and 
restore normal conditions. The effect of an ex- 
clusive meat diet in skin diseases is to increase 
the redness and itching in a notable degree, while 
a simple farinaceous diet would improve the ap- 
pearance of the eruption." 

Flesh food is not necessary to sustain either 
mental or physical vigor, or animal heat. It 
contains no nutrient element not found in veg- 
etables. In fact, eating flesh is only taking 
vegetables at second hand, for all animals sub- 
sist upon a vegetable diet. 

On the other hand, the use of meat is unfa- 
vorable to longevity. Flesh food is stimulating. 
It contains venous blood, which is filled with 
such poisons as urea, uric acid, and cholesterine, 
with many others which would have been re- 
moved by the kidneys and liver of the animal 
had it lived. It is also liable to contain the 
products and germs of disease ; for few animals 
are perfectly healthy when killed, and many are 
in a condition of gross disease, being only hin- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 1 1 5 

dered from dying a natural death by the inter- 
vention of the butcher's knife. 

Thousands of people have investigated this 
subject during the last twenty years, have be- 
come convinced that animal food is inferior to 
vegetable food, and have renounced the use of 
the former with most excellent results. 

Vigorous Vegetarians. — The Congo rail- 
road is not yet completed, and the cataracts of 
this great river render transportation by water 
possible only to a certain distance ; and, curi- 
ously enough, there are no beasts of burden in 
this part of the world. The only means of 
transport is the shoulders ,of men. The porters 
are, according to the Century, ' ' natives of the 
Bakongo tribe, inhabiting the cataract regions. 
In physique these men are slight and only poorly 
developed ; but the fact of their carrying on their 
heads from sixty to one hundred pounds' weight 
twenty miles a day, for sometimes six consecu- 
tive days, their only food being each day a little 
manioc root, an ear or two of maize, or a 
handful of peanuts, pronounces them at once as 
men of singularly sound stamina. Small boys 
of eight and nine years old are frequently met 
carrying loads of twenty-five pounds' weight." 
This observation agrees exactly with the reports 
of travelers concerning the great strength of the 
rice-eating coolies of China, the banana-eating 
natives of South America, the vegetarian Hin- 



Il6 THE HOUSEHOLD 

doos, and the barley-fed Turkish peasant. It 
comports also perfectly with the fact that the 
strongest members of the animal kingdom, 
among which must be mentioned the ox, ele- 
phant, and hippopotamus, are strict vegetarians. 
Physiologists who make a scientific study of this 
question, are coming to recognize the fact that 
the flesh of animals is not necessary to the main- 
tenance of the highest degree of health and 
physical vigor. 

A Barbarous Taste. — The quotation given 
below, from ' ' Missionary Enterprises, " by John 
Williams, missionary to the South Sea Islands, 
illustrates several important facts : — 

i. That flesh food is unnecessary for the 
maintenance of health and strength in human 
beings. 

2. That the taste for flesh food is one so un- 
natural that when the natural, non-flesh diet is 
employed for a series of years, the taste for flesh 
is wholly lost. 

3. That not only the taste but the smell of 
flesh food is repugnant to a person whose senses 
are undepraved. 

4. That civilized nations have become so bar- 
barous by the use of flesh food, as to look upon 
the vegetarian as a barbarian. 

The extract reads as follows : — 
' ' It was upward of ten years after our arrival 
in the islands before we tasted beef ; and when 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. I I J 

we killed our first ox, the mission families from 
the adjacent islands met at our house to enjoy 
the treat ; but, to our mortification, we had so 
entirely lost the relish that none of us could 
bear either the taste or the smell of it. The 
wife of one of the missionaries burst into tears, 
and lamented bitterly that she should have be- 
come so barbarous as to have lost her relish for 
English beef." 

A Live Hog Examined. — Look at that ob- 
ject in a filthy mud-hole by the roadside. At 
first you distinguish nothing but a pile of black, 
slimy mud. The dirty mass moves ! You think 
of a reptile, a turtle, some uncouth monster rev- 
eling in his Stygian filth. A grunt ! The mys- 
tery is solved. The sound betrays a hog. You 
hasten by, avert your face, and sicken with dis- 
gust. Stop, friend, admire your savory ham, 
your souse, 5^our tripe, your toothsome sausage, 
in its native element. A dainty beast, is n't he ? 

Gaze over into that sty, our pork-eating friend. 
Have you done so before ? and would you pre- 
fer to be excused ? Quite likely ; but we will 
show you a dozen things you did not then ob- 
serve. See that contented brute quietly repos- 
ing in the augmented filth of his own ordure ! 
He seems to feel quite at home, does n't he ? 
Look a little sharper and scrutinize his skin. Is 
it smooth and healthy ? — Not exactly so. So 
obscured is it with tetter, and scurf, and mange, 



115 THE HOUSEHOLD 

that you almost expect to see the rotten mass 
drop off, as the grunting creature rubs it against 
any projecting corner which may furnish him 
a convenient scratching-place. As you glance 
around the pen, you observe that all such con- 
veniences have been utilized until they are worn 
so smooth as to be almost inefficient. 

Stir up the beast and make him show his gait. 
See how he rolls along, a mountain of fat. If 
he were human, he would be advised to chew 
tobacco for his obesity, and would be expected 
to drop off any day of heart disease. And so he 
will do, unless the butcher forestalls nature by 
a day or two. Indeed, only a few days ago 
a stout neighbor of his was quietly taking his 
breakfast from his trough, and grunting his in- 
finite satisfaction, when, without a moment's 
warning or a single premonitory symptom, his 
swinish heart ceased to beat, and he instantly 
expired without finishing his meal, much to the 
disappointment of the butcher, who was antici- 
pating the pleasure of quietly executing him a 
few hours later, and serving him up to his pork- 
loving patrons. Suppose his death had been 
delayed a few hours, as is the case with the ma- 
jority of hogs ! or rather, suppose the butcher 
had got the start of nature a little, as he gen- 
erally contrives to do ! 

But we have not half examined our hog yet. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. II9 

If you can possibly prevail upon yourself to sac- 
rifice your taste in the cause of science, pork- 
loving friend, just clamber over into the reeking 
sty, and take a nearer view of the animal that is 
destined to delight the palates of some of your 
friends, perhaps your own. Make him straighten 
out his fore leg. Now observe closely. Do you 
see an open sore or issue a few inches above his 
foot, on the inner side ? and do you say it is a 
mere accidental abrasion ? Find the same on 
the other leg ; it is a wise and wonderful pro- 
vision of nature. But what are they ? Grasp 
the leg high up, and press downward. Now 
you see, as a mass of corruption pours out. 
That opening is the outlet of a sewer. Yes, a 
scrofulous sewer ; and hence the offensive, scrof- 
ulous matter which discharges from it. Should 
you fill a syringe with mercury, or some colored 
injecting-fluid, and drive the contents into this 
same opening, you would be able to trace all 
through the body of the animal little pipes com- 
municating with it. 

What must be the condition of the body of an 
animal so foul as to require a regular system 
of drainage to convey away its teeming filth ? 
Sometimes the outlets get closed by the accumu- 
lation of external filth. Then the scrofulous, 
ichorous stream ceases to flow, and the animal 
quickly sickens and dies, unless the owner 



120 THE HOUSEHOLD 

speedily cleanses the parts, and so opens anew 
the feculent fountain, and allows the festering 
poison to escape. 

What dainty morsels those same feet and legs 
make ! What a delicate flavor they have as 
every epicure asserts ! Do you suppose the cor- 
ruption w,th which they are saturated has any 
influence upon their taste and healthfulness ? 

The hog is a scavenger by nature. His organ- 
ization indicates it ; for he has a regular system 
of sewers running all through his body and dis- 
charging on the inside of his fore legs, the express 
object of which is to convey away the filth with 
which his body teems. 

The process of fattening hogs is one of disease 
A fat hog is one which is grossly diseased. That 
this is the case is shown by the condition of the 
Jiver. The livers of all fat hogs are masses of 
disease. Experienced butchers assert that the 
livers of very fat hogs are extremely apt to be 
affected by abscesses. 

Tape-Worm.-This loathsome creature, which 
sometimes gets into the human stomach and in- 
testines, and grows there to the enormous len-th 
of several rods, is communicated to man by e & at- 
mg pork. The occurrence of tape-worm is be- 
coming much more frequent in this country than 
formerly. 

Trichinae.— Still more to be dreaded by pork- 
eaters are the terrible trichina, which are also 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 121 

communicated by the eating of pork. Each 
worm is so small that several hundred thousand 
of them may occupy a single cubic inch of 
swine's flesh. When taken into the body, a 
single worm may produce a thousand young, 
which at once commence boring into the body 
in every direction, lodging at last in the muscles. 
The pain and general disturbance of the system 
is so great that few constitutions can survive the 
terrible ordeal. If life is not destroyed at once, 
the individual lingers along, a constant sufferer, 
his body filled with disgusting worms for which 
there is no remedy. No cure for the disease has 
been discovered. About one hog in every ten is 
affected by the disease. No more than one in 
ten of the deaths from this cause are attributed 
to it, as the disease may appear like many 
others, resembling cholera, dysentery, typhoid 
fever, cerebro-spinal meningitis, and rheuma- 
tism. No pork is safe. 

Raw-Meat Diet. — Raw meat has so frequently 
been commended as an article of diet espe- 
cially useful in various conditions of the diges- 
tive organs in both adults and children, that it 
is important to call attention to the fact that 
the danger involved in the use of a diet of this 
kind is far greater than can be counterbalanced 
by any good likely to be developed from it. 
Uncooked flesh is very likely to contain the 
embryo of animal parasites of various sorts, 



122 THE HOUSEHOLD 

such as tape-worm, trichina, etc. In addition, 
flesh which has not been subjected to a boiling 
temperature is certain to contain germs, some of 
which may be capable of producing the most 
dangerous symptoms when taken into the human 
stomach. In our opinion, uncooked flesh should 
be entirely discarded as an article of food by 
either sick or well. Raw flesh is less digestible 
than flesh which has been properly cooked, be- 
side being much more liable to produce disease. 

Salt Meats and Consumption. — It is well 
known to be a custom with butchers to salt the 
flesh of animals known to be tuberculous, selling 
the flesh after a few weeks. It is doubtless the 
supposition that in so doing the flesh is rendered 
wholesome by the death of the germs which oc- 
casion this formidable disease in animals and 
human beings. Recently, M. de Freytag, an 
eminent French physician, has been making 
experiments for the purpose of determining the 
influence of salt upon germs of different kinds, 
and he finds that while salt will kill or render 
inert the germs of fermentation, and many other 
kinds of germs, the germs of consumption, as 
well as those of typhoid fever, are practically 
unaffected by it, and continue to flourish even 
in strong solutions of salt. 

The above facts are of the utmost practical 
importance, and should lead to increasing vigi- 
lance in preventing the consumption of the flesh 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. I2J 

of diseased animals. It would seem that the 
use of salted meats is particularly hazardous, 
since they are more likely to be infected than 
are fresh meats, owing to the custom of salting 
diseased meats, above referred to. 

Tender Meat. — Those who use animal food 
are always desirous of obtaining "tender" meat. 
In order to satisfy the demand for such food, the 
butcher and the producer resort to all sorts of 
devices. The former keeps the flesh of slaugh- 
tered animals after they are killed until decay 
has begun, in order that the natural firmness and 
elasticity of the tissues may be overcome by 
processes of decomposition. The latter treats 
his animals in such a manner previous to their 
death that their tissues becomed softened and 
disintegrated by disease. There are several 
means employed to effect this, chief among 
which are confinement and overfeeding. An ex- 
change gives the following translation of a de- 
scription of how young pigeons are fattened 
in Germany : — 

' ' In order to fatten young pigeons quickly, 
put them, on the twentieth day, or when they 
commence to get feathers, into a basket with a 
soft layer of moss or hay on the bottom, in a 
place which freely admits the air, but excludes 
the light. Feed the birds three times daily, at 
intervals of five hours each, with cooked maize, 
opening the beaks and making them swallow 



124 THE HOUSEHOLD 

successively thirty to forty grains each. The 
maize should be warm, but not hot. By con- 
tinuing this treatment ten or twelve days, the 
birds will become most tender and delicate." 

Such meat would doubtless be ' ' tender " 
enough to suit the most fastidious epicure. In 
this respect the plan suggested would certainly 
be perfectly successful ; but great care would be 
necessary lest nature should succumb and actual 
dissolution of the poor birds occur before their 
heads were chopped off. Mr. Bergh would have 
arrested the perpetrators of such cruelty. 

Diseased Meat. — The increasing prevalence 
among cattle and other animals of diseases com- 
municable to human beings, is awakening much 
interest among medical and sanitary authorities, 
regarding the possible adoption of measures for 
stamping out the prevailing maladies, and pre- 
venting the consumption of diseased meat, which 
is now undoubtedly extremely large. An English 
health officer stated, some time since, that the 
stomachs of Englishmen were the catacombs in 
which were buried the carcasses of more than 
20,000 diseased animals. Probably many times 
that number of diseased animals are annually 
consumed in this country. Tuberculosis, an- 
thrax, and other ailments communicable through 
the use of affected flesh, are increasingly preva- 
lent, and the time is not far distant, if it has not 
already arrived, when the use of the flesh of any 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. I2J 

animal which is not carefully inspected during 
life, and thus determined to be in a state of 
health, will be absolutely dangerous. 

Consumptive Hens. — A French physician 
recently reported a case in which consumption 
was contracted by a large number of hens, by 
picking up the discharges of a young man living 
on the premises, who was suffering from this 
disease. 

Catching Consumption. — French experi- 
menters have ascertained that cows are very 
liable to consumption, and that the tubercle of 
this disease may be communicated by eating 
either the flesh or the milk of affected animals. 
This will account, in part, for some of the cases 
of ' ' quick consumption ; " for it is observed that 
when the disease is communicated in this way, 
its progress is much more rapid than under 
other circumstances. When milk is used, the 
greatest care should be taken to obtain it from 
healthy animals. 

Milk from Stabled Cows. — Milk is not the 
best food, because it contains the impurities of 
the blood of the animal from which it is taken. 
If the animal's blood be pure, the milk is pro- 
portionately good ; if it is impure, the milk must 
be likewise affected. 

When cows are confined in a close stall, they 
breathe, over and over, the same foul air, which is 
always loaded with filthy vapors from their own 



26 



THE HOUSEHOLD 



excreta. These vapors enter the blood, and 
poison every tissue and every secretion. The 
inhaled impurities make their appearance in the 
milk also, which thus becomes a means of excre- 
tion. If it is eaten, the filthy impurities of the 
stable are taken with it. 

A writer of note truly says that ' ' fully one 
half the deaths among the young are directly 
traceable to poisonous milk ; " and yet thousands 
of people, especially in our large cities, are daily 
exposing themselves and their children to the 
possibility of fatal poisoning. 




The taste is not always a reliable means for 
testing the quality of the milk, neither can the 
poisonous elements be detected by the closest 
scrutiny of the chemist ; but the microscope re- 
veals the presence of disease, although it may 
escape all other means of detection. 

Fig. i is an accurate illustration of the appear- 
ance of pure milk when examined by means of a 
good microscope. It will be seen that it con- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. \2"J 

tains nothing but rounded globules of various 
sizes, which are the so-called butter cells of 
milk. 

Fig. 2 is an exact representation of the appear- 
ance of diseased milk under the microscope. 
This specimen was taken from a cow that was 
fed upon swill and confined in a filthy stable. 
The difference between these two specimens will 
be readily observed. In Fig. 2, in addition to 
the rounded globules which are alone found in 
Fig. i, we have great numbers of minute organ- 
isms which are indicative of disease. Milk of 
this kind Cannot be habitually used without pro- 
ducing serious disturbances in the system. 

Contaminated Milk and Typhoid Fever. 
— Doubtless a vast deal of mischief is occasioned 
by the use of milk contaminated with disease. 
Typhoid fever has many times been traced 
to this source. It is entirely possible that this 
fever is often produced in some other way 
than by the use of drinking-water contaminated 
with the germs of this disease. The infection 
may be received directly from cows ,While it 
may not be probable that the germs of the dis- 
ease escape from the body of an infected animal 
through the milk, the milk may nevertheless be- 
come infected through the medium of small par- 
ticles of excreta, which fall into the milk from the 
udder during the process of milking. The reme- 
dies for this danger are obvious. Observe the 



128 THE HOUSEHOLD 

same care in selecting drinking-water for cows 
as you would for human beings, and see that 
the udder arid adjacent parts are washed clear* 
before milking. 

Sterilized Milk. — This is the scientific name 
for milk which has been rendered germ-free by 
boiling. Cow's milk should never be fed 1 to 
young children without being first boiled. Al- 
though free from germs when it first comes from 
a healthy cow, milk very quickly becomes in- 
fected with myriads of these enemies of life to 
which thousands of infants annually succumb 
By boiling, these are killed, and the alimentary 
canal is thus kept free from the poisons which 
they generate in the process of growth, for 
which they find the most favorable conditions 
in the stomach and intestines. 

To sterilize milk, place it when fresh from the 
cow in soda-water bottles, using as many bottles 
as necessary for the quantity of milk to be ster- 
ilized. Fill each bottle to within an inch of 
the top. Boil for ten minutes in a steamer or 
boiler. Stop the bottles tightly with a rubber 
cork, and boil for twenty minutes more. See 
that the corks are tight and well secured. Care 
must also be taken that the bottles and corks 
used for the purpose are scrupulously clean, 
and to insure this they must be not only well 
washed, but boiled for at least half an hour 
before using. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 120, 

By the adoption of this precaution, thousands, 
of lives would be saved annually. Boiled milk 
is not only free from germs, and so not likely to 1 
sour, but it is more easily digested, as it does 
not form large curds in the stomach as does 
raw milk. To render milk a perfect food for 
a young child, it should be enriched by the ad- 
dition of cream in the proportion of an ounce 
of cream to a gill of milk. This should be 
diluted, of course, with the proper amount of 
water to adapt it to the age of the child ; say 
with an equal quantit)' of water for a very young 
child, and half as much water for a child be- 
tween one and two years of age. Such food is 
as digestible as mother's milk, and is no more 
likely to cause disease. 

Cheese Poisoning. — Every eater of cheese 
ought to be informed of the fact that ripe cheese 
always contains poisonous substances. These 
are not ordinarily present in sufficient quantity 
to render their presence apparent by seriously 
toxic symptoms ; but the fact that the cheese- 
eater may at any time swallow unawares a fatal 
dose of cheese poison, - or a dose of sufficient 
size to imperil his life and entail great suffering, 
is evidenced by the frequency with which cases 
of cheese poisoning are reported. Some months 
ago, over two hundred cases were reported to 
the State Board of Health of Ohio, all occurring 
within a few days. The symptoms were vom- 
9 



I30 THE HOUSEHOLD 

iting and great pain in the stomach, violent 
purging, lasting from twelve to forty-eight hours, 
great prostration, and in some cases syncope. 

The Inhabitants of Cheese. — Great inter- 
est has been shown in the discussion at various 
times of the question as to whether or not the 
moon is inhabited, and quite recently some curi- 
ous light phenomena in connection with the 
planet Mars, have been interpreted as indicating 
that the inhabitants of that planetary neighbor 
of ours were endeavoring to attract our attention 
by means of a species of light telegraphy. No 
one has yet been able to make out the signals, 
but some earnest study is being given to the sub- 
ject by persons who believe that the solar spheres 
are peopled by inhabitants closely resembling 
those of our world. 

In view of the great interest in the matter of 
the hypothetical population of celestial bodies so 
far away from us, it is somewhat remarkable that 
so little interest should have been manifested in 
the study of populous communities much nearer 
home. The moon is not made of green cheese, 
as some of us were told in the early days of our 
investigations of scientific subjects, but if it were, 
it would be a vastly more populous planet than 
this earth ; for, according to the observations re- 
cently published by Prof. Adametz, who has been 
making a careful study of the microscopic organ- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 131 

isms which inhabit cheese, this common food 
substance contains, in addition to the skippers, 
mites, and other visible maggots and larvae with 
which all are familiar, prodigious numbers of mi- 
crobes of various sorts. 

According to Prof. Adametz, perfectly fresh 
cheese contains to every gram (fifteen grains) 
from 90,000 to 140,000 microbes. The popu- 
lation of a soft cheese twenty-five days old was 
found to number 1,200,000 for every gram, 
while the same quantity of a cheese forty-five 
days old, was found to contain 2,000,000 mi- 
crobes. It was observed that the microbes were 
much more numerous near the outer portion of 
the cheese than in the center, probably due to 
the fact that proximity to the air favors their 
growth. One soft cheese examined was found 
to contain, near its outer surface, from 3,600,000 
to 5,600,000 germs, in a quantity of cheese 
barely equaling in size a small marble. Com- 
bining many observations, it was found that 
cheese, on an average, contains in every pound 
nearly twice as many germs as there are people 
upon the face of the earth. 

Notwithstanding these scientific facts, there 
are doubtless many persons who will continue to 
consume, under the name of ' ' cheese, " the usual 
quantity of decayed milk ; and after swallowing 
some millions of microbes at a meal, will wonder 



132 THE HOUSEHOLD 

why they suffer from sour stomach, heart-burn, 
flatulence, biliousness, and a variety of other 
symptoms which are due to germs. 

The Cannibal Instinct. — A very refined and 
cultured young lady was quite horrified, the other 
day, when told by the writer that her British 
ancestors, who were conquered and civilized by 
the Romans, were ' ' cannibals. " Her horror 
was intensified when the remark was made 
that the cannibalistic instincts of the Anglo- 
Saxon race still survive. Proof of the state- 
ment being called for, the fact was cited that 
the fair speaker herself might furnish an ex- 
ample of this ferocious instinct. All the proof 
necessary was the fact that she had just been 
confessing to a great liking for raw oysters taken 
fresh from the shell and eaten with a little vine- 
gar and pepper. "But," she exclaimed in de- 
fense, "the oyster is not an animal." "Cer- 
tainly the oyster is an animal," we replied, " as 
every schoolgirl ought to know in our day, and 
an animal that is well supplied with organs not 
so very much unlike those of our own bodies, 
— nerves, muscles, stomach, and an enormous 
liver, which constitutes a large part of the entire 
animal. If an oyster possessed the power of 
speech, we dare say some heart-rending shrieks 
would be uttered as the poor creature is torn 
from his shell. And if it were not paralyzed 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 1 33 

by the rude treatment to which it is subjected, 
no doubt some lively squirming would be wit- 
nessed when the biting vinegar and the blister- 
ing pepper are applied to the poor creature's 
tender flesh. Just imagine, too, if you can, 
how it must feel on its way down to the stom- 
ach, and what its sensations must be as it is 
being devoured piecemeal by the gastric juice. 
Thackeray once said at a dinner table, after he 
had swallowed an unusually large oyster, that 
he felt as though he had swallowed a baby. 
We have known young ladies whose nerves 
were so delicate that they could not see a 
mouse or a spider without going into hysterics 
and declaring that they were nearly killed with 
fright, and we have known these very sensitive 
young women to swallow half a dozen live oys- 
ters without a single shiver or compunction of con- 
science. Eating oysters well disinfected by boil- 
ing is bad enough, but to swallow an oyster fresh 
from the sea, swarming with germs, and alive and 
wriggling, is to our taste inexpressibly repulsive. 
Something about the Oyster. — A statement 
is traveling among the papers, bolstered up by 
such names as Dr. Lenac and Dr. Pasquier, to 
the effect that oysters are a panacea for persons 
suffering from impaired digestion, debility, and 
lowness of spirits ; that they are excellent in sur- 
gical cases, because they increase blood without 



134 THE HOUSEHOLD 

producing fever ; that they possess a most re- 
markable vivifying influence upon 'the nenvous 
system ; and, lastly, that the liquor they contain 
is a noted tonic. It would be hardly possible 
to crowd more absurdities into the same space. 
The nutritive quality of the oyster is very low, 
being nearly all water, and bad water at that. 
Take an oyster and dry it, and see what is left. 
The oyster is not easily digested, requiring, when 
stewed, three and a half hours, and when eaten 
raw, thirty-five minutes less, or two hours and 
fifty-five minutes. It takes as long to digest the 
oyster as it does a hard-boiled egg, and nearly 
every one considers hard-boiled eggs unfit for 
an invalid stomach. Even roast goose takes 
no longer time for digestion, whereas there are 
plenty of simple, nutritious foods which digest 
in a much shorter time. Rice is digested in one 
hour, milk in two hours, and a soft-boiled egg 
in an hour and a half. 

It has been supposed that the oyster was an 
aid to digestion when swallowed raw, in that it 
went on making gastric juice for a while after 
being taken into the stomach. Such a proceed- 
ing would appear rathei cannibalistic at best, 
but the notion is entirely fallacious, as has been 
demonstrated by recent experiments. As to the 
liquor being a tonic, we have investigated the 
oyster from a microscopic standpoint, and find 
its juice to be literally swarming with myriads 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. I 3 5. 

of germs, wriggling and swimming about. The 
juice certainly needs to be disinfected before 
being used, and this a certain French physician 
has proposed to do. The Frenchman eats snails, 
which we are accustomed to look upon with 
loathing ; but these snails are vegetarians, liv- 
ing upon vine leaves, and certainly in the matter 
of diet are much superior to the slime-eating 
oyster. The oyster is one of the lowest of scav- 
engers, and everybody knows that the food of 
an animal affects the flavor of its flesh ; for in- 
stance, if a hog eats carrion, the pork tastes of 
it. In the sea, nature has put a great variety 
of creatures at work as scavengers, by which 
means the water is in a large measure purified 
from the death and decay of animal and vegeta- 
ble life within it. Once, when sailing on the 
Gulf of Mexico, we caught one of those beau- 
tifully colored creatures known as the Portugese 
man-of-war, and while examining it, suddenly 
noticed a terribly offensive odor, which was 
soon traced to a dead fish, around which it 
had twined its delicate arms all resplendent 
with color. But that was exactly what the 
creature was made -for. 

The scavengers at the top of the water have 
the first pick of all the decaying substances which 
find their way into it ; lower down, other scav- 
engers make their meal ; but the crumbs from 
the tables of all the other scavengers drop to 



I36 THE HOUSEHOLD 

the bottom, and there they find an oyster stuck 
in the mud, with its mouth wide open. The 
hard, brown part of the oyster is its excretory 
-organ, — liver, kidneys, spleen, etc. , all com- 
bined in one. Its diet is so bad that it needs 
a big liver to keep it alive. Why a man will 
turn away from fruits which hang ripe and lus- 
cious over his head, and put his hand into the 
mud after this loathsome creature, is more than 
one can imagine. It is singular how any one 
could have conceived the idea that the oyster is 
good for food. As an anonymous poet says : — 

" That man must had a palate covered o 'er 
With brass or steel, who, on the rocky shore. 
First broke the oozy oyster's pearly coat, 
And risked the slimy morsel down his throat." 

If additional reason for not eating the oyster 
is needed, it is found in the fact that a deadly 
poison known as tyrotoxicon is liable to be con- 
tained in it. A while since, we were called to 
attend a patient who was deathly sick ; the 
pupils of his eyes were dilated, he was in a 
cold, clammy sweat and vomiting terribly. He 
had been eating oysters, and told where he got 
them. We immediately sent for a quantity, and 
an analysis showed that they contained a large 
amount of the poison named. Repeated in- 
stances of this kind might be mentioned. 

Poisonous Oysters. — A French scientist has 
recently been investigating the cause of the fre- 
quent occurrence of poisoning from the use of 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. I 37 

oysters and other mussels. As the result of the 
investigation, he came to the conclusion that 
the poisonous action of mussels is due to the 
presence, especially in the liver of the fish, of 
an organic base, the mytilotoxine of Brieger, 
and that this is developed under the influence 
of a particular microbe occurring only in mussels 
that have lived in stagnant or polluted water. 
It should be added that it has been observed 
that oysters reared near the outlet of city sewers 
are frequently found to produce poisonous symp- 
toms when eaten, especially at certain seasons 
of the year. 

Poisonous Sirups. — For a number of years 
the people of this country have been abused by 
the manufacture and sale of villainous com- 
pounds which were labeled with such enticing 
names as "golden drip," "silver drip," and 
similar phrases. These so-called sirups, instead 
of being made from sugar or the sugar-cane, are 
manufactured by chemical processes, being made 
from starch, cotton rags, saw-dust, and similar 
materials. 

It has long been known to chemists that a 
sweet substance, known as grape-sugar, could 
be produced by boiling starch for a long time 
with sulphuric acid. Saw-dust, cotton, and 
woody fiber in any other form, furnish the same 
product when treated in a similar manner. Un- 
scrupulous knaves have taken advantage of this 



138 THE HOUSEHOLD 

scientific fact to impose upon the people a spu- 
rious kind of sirup. These fraudulent prac- 
tices have become so extensive that it is next to 
impossible to find a specimen of sirup that is 
wholly free from contamination. 

The effects of using this chemical preparation 
are very serious. It contains sulphuric acid, or 
oil of vitriol, iron, and various other unwhole- 
some constituents. When freely used, it pro- 
duces irritation of the stomach, and has, no 
doubt, been the cause of numberless cases of 
chronic dyspepsia. In one instance which oc- 
curred under our observation, more than a dozen 
people suffered at once with slight symptoms of 
poisoning, the consequence of eating candy 
made of this wretched stuff. It was observed 
that the teeth and tongues of those who ate of 
the candy were made very black ; and without 
doubt the blackened teeth were permanently 
and seriously damaged. 

It is important to know how to distinguish 
these adulterated and poisonous sirups from those 
which are pure. A convenient method, which 
is sufficiently accurate for practical purposes, 
is to add a teaspoonful of the suspected sirup to 
half a cup of strong tea. If the solution be- 
comes black, like ink, the sirup is unfit for use 
and contains poisonous elements. It should 
certainly be discarded. If every family would 
adopt the plan of testing sirup before buying, 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 1 39 

and refuse to purchase that which would not 
stand the test, the market for these vile com- 
pounds would soon be destroyed, and their man- 
ufacture necessarily cease. 

Poisonous Baking-Powders. — All baking- 
powders are more or less harmful. The cheaper 
grades of baking-powders, nearly all of which 
contain alum, are exceedingly deleterious in 
character, producing, when used even for a 
short time, serious trouble with the stomach 
and bowels. But a still more dangerous pow- 
der, sold under the name of " French Tartar," 
has recently appeared. An analysis of this tar- 
tar shows that it often contains as much as 40 
per cent of oxalic acid, an extremely poisonous 
substance. Many baking-powders are adulter- 
ated with carbonate of ammonia, a cheap chem- 
ical substance. Many bakers are in the habit of 
using ammonia in some form as a "raising" in- 
gredient, in cakes and other pastries. There are 
two facts in this connection which ought to be 
generally known, the first of which is that am- 
monia is not entirely driven off by heat. There 
are many experiments which show that a con- 
siderable percentage of ammonia, when used in 
the form of a carbonate, is retained in the bread 
and cakes raised with this material, even twenty- 
four hours after being taken from the oven. 
Second, it should be known that ammonia is a 
poisonous substance. When taken into the 



140 THE HOUSEHOLD 

stomach for any considerable time, it greatly 
impairs its action, by neutralizing the gastric 
juice. When absorbed, it injures the red blood 
corpuscles, thus affecting the nutritive processes 
of the entire body. The safest way is to avoid the 
use of baking-powders altogether. The lightest 
and sweetest of bread can be made without bak- 
ing-powder or rising material other than pure air. 

The Harmfulness of Soda. — Soda, saleratus, 
cream of tartar, baking-powder, etc. , are chemi- 
cal substances, and in no sense foods. None of 
these substances should ever enter the stomach. 
There is no more active dyspepsia-producing ar- 
ticle of food than the soda and saleratus biscuit 
so commonly found upon the tables of both rich 
and poor, and it is also unquestionably true that 
their continued use results in harm to the liver 
and kidneys, which are compelled to remove 
these alkalies from the blood. The idea enter- 
tained by many that these ingredients are harm- 
less because alkalies and acids neutralize each 
other chemically, is entirely fallacious. They 
neutralize but do not destroy each other, form- 
ing instead a salt quite injurious to health. Prop- 
erly made yeast bread is to be preferred to that 
prepared with such substances, and unleavened 
bread is far superior to either. 

Lager Beer as Food. — After such repeated 
refutations of the idea, it is strange that people 
should still cling to the notion that lager beer is 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 141 

nourishing. • If a man has lost his appetite, and 
seems to be failing in strength, or losing weight, 
his next-door neighbor advises him to drink daily 
a few glasses of lager beer. If a nursing mother 
has insufficient food for her infant, wise old ladies 
prescribe larger beer or ale. 

Although it is being constantly reiterated in 
the ears of the people that alcohol is not food, 
and that beer and ale are only dirty mixtures of 
alcohol and water, still they refuse to believe 
that these pernicious beverages cannot, in some 
way, impart nourishment and strength. Per- 
haps the testimony of one of the greatest of 
European savants will correct the opinions of a 
few. 

Said Prof. Baron Liebig, a German chemist of 
great renown, ' ' We can prove with mathemati- 
cal certainty that as much flour or meal as would 
lie on the point of a table-knife is more nutri- 
tious than five measures [ten quarts] of the best 
Bavarian beer." Powerful nutriment, indeed ! 

Two Meals a Day. — According to Hippoc- 
rates, a very noted Grecian physician who lived 
a few centuries before Christ, the Grecians of that 
age ate but one meal a day. He advised, how- 
ever, that two meals should be eaten, as by so 
doing there would be less liability to overeating. 
Thus it is evident that the "two-meal system," 
as the custom of eating two meals a day is called, 
is not by any means a modern innovation, but 



142 THE HOUSEHOLD 

has the sanction of antiquity. It is also a fact 
worthy of mention in this connection, that the 
ancient Grecians were among the most hardy, 
energetic, and courageous, as well as learned, of 
all the nations of whom we have any historical 
record. Their feats of physical prowess astonish 
the world ; and their rank as thinkers is in no 
way inferior to that of any other people who 
have ever lived. The advantages of two meals 
instead of three are very numerous ; and there 
are no substantial objections to the practice in 
any but a few exceptional cases. Of course there 
are cases in which three meals a day, if the sup- 
per be light and early, are preferable to a less 
number, and for such two meals are not recom- 
mended. 

It would have been infinitely better for human 
stomachs if the ancient custom of eating but 
twice in a day had been maintained. There are 
a great many other directions, as well, in which 
modern practices are no improvement over an- 
cient ones, and which call for reform by a return 
to the customs of our predecessors. 

Eating Between Meals. — The stomach re- 
quires rest as well as the brain or the muscles. 
If food is eaten at other times than at meals, it is 
kept constantly at work. From three to six 
hours are required to digest most articles of 
food ; hence, if food is taken again within five 
or six hours after eating, the stomach is kept in- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 1 43 

cessantly employed, and becomes exhausted. 
When the next meal is taken, it is unprepared 
to receive it, and indigestion with its myriad 
train of ills results. Late suppers are suicidal. 
Never eat within five hours of retiring. 

Hasty Eating. — Americans are proverbial 
for hasty eating. The student swallows his 
food unmasticated, and hastens back to his 
books. The merchant bolts his meals to save 
time for business. The glutton eats as fast as 
ever he can, to keep pace with his neighbors 
and get his full share. 

It is not enough to fill the stomach with food. 
Digestion begins in the mouth ; and unless the 
mouth does its share of the work, the stomach 
is required to do a double portion. When the 
food is sent down into the stomach in lumps, 
the abused organ does its best to digest it, but 
fails, because it has no means for grinding food. 

The mill is in the mouth, and mastication, if 
done at all, must be done there. The gastric 
juice cannot act upon solid food, and hence allows 
it to go undigested. Fermentation ensues, and 
dyspepsia, dysentery, cholera morbus, and a 
dozen other diseases result. 

Eight ounces of food, well masticated, will af- 
ford as much nourishment to the body as a 
pound hastily bolted. 

Cheerfulness at Meals. — The benefit de- 
rived from food taken, depends very much upon 



144 THE HOUSEHOLD MONITOR. 

the condition of the body while eating. If taken 
in a moody, cross, or despairing condition of 
mind, digestion is slower and much less perfect 
than when taken with a cheerful disposition. 
The very rapid and silent eating too common 
among Americans, should be avoided, and some 
topic of interest introduced at meals, in which 
all may participate ; and if a hearty laugh is 
occasionally indulged in, it will be all the better. 
Diet and Mental Labor. — Isaac Newton per- 
formed his most severe intellectual labor while 
subsisting upon a diet of bread and water. Py- 
thagoras, one of the most acute philosophers of 
antiquity, was a rigid vegetarian, and educated 
his followers in the same regimen. 



Tests for Adulterations 



The following tests for various adulterations 
of food, or articles used in the preparation of 
food, are condensed from the "Home Hand- 
Book of Domestic Hygiene and Rational Med- 
icine " : — 

Detection of Alum in Bread. — The sim- 
plest method is to dip a slice of the suspected 
bread in a solution of logwood in water (either 
the extract or fresh chips may be employed). 
If alum is present, the bread will become a 
claret color. A more precise method is the fol- 
lowing : Macerate in three or four tablespoon- 
fuls of water a half slice of bread ; strain off the 
water, and add to it twenty drops of a strong 
solution of logwood. Then add a large tea- 
spoonful of a strong solution of carbonate of 
ammonium. If alum is present, the mixture 
will be changed from pink to a lavender-blue. 
This test will discover a grain of alum in a 
pound of bread. 

To Detect Blue Vitriol in Bread.— Dis- 
solve some of the bread in warm water. Add a 
strong solution of prussiate of potash. If cop- 
per is present, a chocolate color will appear. 



I46 THE HOUSEHOLD 

Adulterations of Butter. — The presence of 
annotto is shown by the unnaturally deep color 
of the butter. Other adulterants are easily de- 
tected by melting the butter with gentle heat, 
which causes them to separate. 

Test for Glucose. — The presence of glucose 
in sugar can easily be detected by the following 
method : Dissolve in a test-tube half a teaspoon- 
ful of the suspected sugar in two teaspoonfuls of 
warm water. Add six or eight drops of a strong 
solution of blue vitriol. This will give to the 
solution a faint blue tinge. Now add a solution 
of caustic potash. This will deepen the blue 
color greatly, and produce a curdy appearance. 
Continue to add the potash until the solution 
becomes clear, shaking the test-tube frequently 
so as to mix the contents well, and then heat to 
boiling in the flame of a spirit-lamp. If grape- 
sugar is present, as the liquid approaches the 
boiling point a yellowish color will appear, 
which will soon deepen to orange, then orange 
red, then deep red. The changes in color are 
due to the precipitation of red oxide of copper, 
which is the chemical test for grape sugar. 

Inorganic adulterants of sugar can be readily 
detected by dissolving the sugar, when they will 
appear as a sediment. 

Adulteration of Sirups. — This fraud is not 
always easy to detect, but it may generally be 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 1 47 

discovered through the action of well-known 
chemical re-agents upon the sulphuric acid and 
iron which "corn sirup" is almost certain to 
contain. These substances may be detected by 
the following means : — 

It is well known that iron with tannic acid 
forms a black compound. It is by this means 
that ink is made from oak-bark or logwood and 
salts of iron. Hence by adding a little of the 
sirup to a solution of tannin, it will become 
black. Common tea contains tannin in suffi- 
cient quantity to make a good test. Into half a 
cup of moderately strong, clear tea put a tea- 
spoonful of the sirup. If the tea becomes black, 
iron is present in the sirup. It is true that the 
iron itself in very small quantities may not be 
productive of great injury, though in the quan- 
tities in which we have found it we think it 
might do harm ; but a knowledge of its presence 
is of value as indicating the probable presence 
of sulphuric acid and of glucose. Sirup or sugar 
which will blacken tea may well be suspected 
and avoided. 

Procure at a drug-store a dram of nitrate or 
chloride of barium. Dissolve in a few spoon- 
fuls of water. Dissolve some of the sirup in 
warm water in a test-tube or clear, clean vial. 
Add some of the barium solution, and shake. 
Set aside for half an hour. If a white powder 



I48 THE HOUSEHOLD 

appears at the bottom of the vial as a sediment, 
the sirup undoubtedly contains sulphuric acid, 
and should be rejected. 

The adulteration of sirup is so common that 
it is entirely unsafe to purchase or use the ar- 
ticle, no matter how alluring its name or fine its 
appearance, without ascertaining its purity by 
careful testing. 

Adulterated and Artificial Honey. — A 
large share of the strained honey in market is 
adulterated with glucose, as well as are sirups. 
In some cases, so-called honey contains not a 
particle of the genuine article, being simply a 
flavored sirup of glucose. We have examined 
specimens in which considerable quantities of 
sulphuric acid were present. 

It is stated that another very ingenious form 
of adulteration of honey has been quite exten- 
sively practiced. What is termed the founda- 
tion of the comb is made of parafnne, a wax-like 
substance made from petroleum. This saves 
the bees much labor, as they have but to build 
up the cells on the foundation furnished them. 
Then, to still further economize their time and 
labor, they are abundantly supplied with glu- 
cose in solution, which they have but to trans- 
fer to the comb, thus avoiding the trouble of 
gathering sweets from distant fields. Of course 
no transformation takes place in the artificial 
sugar, it being simply transferred from the feed- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 1 49 

ing vessel to the comb. Thus we have honey 
which is wholly artificial with the exception of a 
portion of the wax. This certainly caps the 
climax of adulterations. 

The tests for artificial and adulterated honey 
are the same as those for glucose in sirups. 

Adulterations of Baking-Powders. — Bak- 
ing-powders are preferable to soda, saleratus, 
cream of tartar, and sour milk, in the way these 
substances are commonly used, and yet they 
may be dispensed with, and with benefit to the 
health. The alum powders are the worst of all 
compounds used for raising bread. They should 
never be employed. The presence of alum in 
baking-powder may be detected by testing for 
alum the bread made from it, as already di- 
rected. 

Canned Fruits and Vegetables. — Canned 
fruits and vegetables are often adulterated with 
coloring and flavoring substances of an unwhole- 
some character. The most common are red col- 
oring matters in tomatoes (not common in this 
country), fuchsine and aniline in fruits, and salts 
of copper in peas and other green vegetables. 
It occasionally happens, also, that the solder 
with which the cans are closed causes contami- 
nation of fruits with lead. Sometimes the cans 
themselves are a still greater source of danger, 
being made of lead-tin. 

When the coloring matter is of an earthy 



I50 THE HOUSEHOLD 

character, some portions may be found in the 
bottom of the can as sediment. When fuchsine 
or aniline is present, it may be detected by plac- 
ing in the juice of the fruit, as found in the can. 
a few threads of white woolen yarn or worsted. 
After half an hour remove the threads, and if 
the coloring matters mentioned are present they 
will be colored red, as will not be the case if 
only the fruit juices are present. 

Adulteration with copper may be strongly sus- 
pected if such vegetables as peas have a bright 
green appearance. The presence of copper will 
be proved if a sewing-needle placed in the can 
over night, after adding a few drops of sulphuric 
acid, is found to be coated with a coppery col- 
ored film in the morning. A very small pro- 
portion of copper may be detected in this way. 

Preserves, Marmalade, Etc. — In many cases, 
preserves are colored with fuchsine and aniline, 
as are some canned fruits. Marmalade often 
consists chiefly of apples flavored with orange 
essence. Copper is also sometimes found, as in 
canned fruits. It is usually accidental, however, 
its presence being due to the fact that preserves 
are generally made in copper kettles, some of 
the copper being dissolved by the juices of the 
fruits, the solution of the copper being facili- 
tated by the heat and the stirring. On this 
account preserves should never be made in cop- 
per kettles. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 151 

Jellies. — It is rare to find in the market such 
a thing as pure fruit jelly. If found, it will be 
held at a high price. The ordinary jellies sold 
are largely made up of gelatine, colored with 
aniline and other dye-stuffs, and flavored with 
various essences. Many of them contain not a 
particle of the fruit after which they are named. 
A less harmful but no less fraudulent form of 
adulteration is the use of apple jelly, flavored 
to suit the different varieties for which it is sold. 
The coloring matters may be detected by the 
method already described ; but so few are pure, 
it is best to avoid them altogether. 

Emit Extracts. — The science of chemistry 
has lent its aid to the art of adulteration so 
effectually that almost, if not quite, every one 
of the principal fruit flavors is imitated by chemi- 
cal compounds so closely that the difference can- 
not be detected by the taste, though, undoubt- 
edly, the difference is readily noticed by the 
stomach. Not only are these essences sold at 
retail for domestic use, but they are largely, in 
fact almost exclusively, used by bakers and con- 
fectioners. Pastry, jellies, and ices are made 
still more atrocious by the addition of these 
abominable mixtures. Candies also are flavored 
with the same vile compounds. Serious illness 
and even death has frequently been caused by 
the use of articles containing the poisonous sub- 
stances above mentioned. 



152 THE HOUSEHOLD 

Vinegar and Pickles. — Vinegar is very often 
adulterated with mineral acids, sulphuric acid 
being the most commonly used. Many speci- 
mens of vinegar offered for sale as cider vinegar, 
has not a drop of apple juice in them. Vinegar 
is itself an unwholesome article ; but it becomes 
tenfold more injurious when adulterated with 
strong acids, injuring not only the stomach, 
but the teeth. The presence of sulphuric acid, 
or oil of vitriol, may be detected by the test 
given for this acid in sirups. It is said that it 
may also be detected in the following manner : 
Add to the vinegar a small quantity of sugar. 
Then put a drop or two on a clean plate and 
■evaporate at a low heat. If the acid is present, 
the spot will become black, through its action 
on the sugar. 

Tea and Coffee. — These substances, used as 
beverages in infusion, are largely adulterated, 
though in the case of coffee the adulterants em- 
ployed are not worse than the original sub- 
stance. Tea is, however, rendered even more 
unwholesome than it naturally is, by the addi- 
tion to it of Prussian blue and various other 
harmful substances. It is a fact worth remark- 
ing, that Chinamen in this country will not drink 
the tea which is imported from their country for 
American consumers. 

Prussian blue, indigo, black lead, gypsum, 
turmeric, and various other substances used as 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. I 53 

facing, may be easily detected by either one of 
the following methods : — 

Place two or three ounces of the tea in a 
piece of thin muslin, and shake well over a 
piece of white paper. Examine the dust thus 
collected with a magnifying glass capable of en- 
larging ten or fifteen diameters. An ordinary 
botanizing glass answers the purpose admirably. 
Prussian blue appears as brilliantly blue, trans- 
parent, angular particles. Indigo particles are 
greenish blue and opaque. 

Another method is to wash a few ounces of 
tea with cold water, placing the washings in a 
glass to settle. Examine the sediment in the 
manner directed. 

Nearly all the substances used in the adultera- 
tion of coffee may be detected by means of the 
microscope. The following simple means are 
also usually sufficient to determine the character 
of any specimen of coffee : — 

1. Notice if the ground coffee cakes in the 
paper or package containing it, or when pressed 
between the ringers. If it does, it is spurious. 

2 . Place a few pinches upon water in a goblet. 
If part floats while another portion sinks, it is 
adulterated. Pure coffee absorbs water slowly, 
and so floats for some time ; while the substances 
used to adulterate it absorb water quickly, and 
sink. The amount of adulteration can be readily 



154 THE HOUSEHOLD 

estimated by observing what proportion sinks 
speedily. 

Adulteration of Tin. — On account of the 
increased cheapness and convenience of manu- 
facture, a large share of the tin plate made at 
the present time contains in it a considerable 
proportion of lead. This kind of tin may be 
detected by a simple test which any one can 
apply. Place upon the metal a drop of nitric 
acid, spreading it to the size of a dime. Dry 
over a gentle heat, apply a drop of water, and 
then add a small crystal of iodide of potash. If 
lead is present, a yellow color will make its 
appearance very quickly. 



TEMPERANCE 



Forty Scientific Arguments Against the 
Alcohol Habit. 

1. — Alcohol is a Chemical Agent. — The 

chemist describes alcohol as a liquid technically 
known as hydrated oxide of ethyl, containing 
two atoms of carbon, six of hydrogen, and one 
of oxygen, and represented by the formula, 
C 5 H 2 HO. It is colorless when pure, and very 
inflammable, burning with a pale blue flame. 
It is closely allied to such chemical compounds 
as naphtha, turpentine, benzine, fusel oil, kero- 
sene, and burning fluid. It is seldom found 
pure, usually containing from two to fifty per 
cent of water, besides various impurities, chief 
among which is fusel oil, another variety of 
alcohol. 

With the exception of air and water, no ex- 
ample can be produced in which a chemical 
compound is of service in the vital economy as 
an article of habitual use ; and neither of these 
really enters into the vital structure of the body. 
The oxygen of the air destroys the worn-out 
particles of the body, and water is the vehicle 
by which useful material is introduced into the 



I 56 THE HOUSEHOLD 

body and circulated through it, and impurities 
and useless particles washed out of the tissues, 
and removed from the vital domain. 

2. — Alcohol Possesses Active Chemical 
Properties. — The active chemical properties 
possessed by alcohol render it not only unfit 
for introduction into the body, but actually 
dangerous. As we shall hereafter show, its 
various active chemical and physical properties 
are the means by which it exerts so potent an 
influence for evil. No one would think of mak- 
ing habitual use as a beverage of sulphuric acid, 
aqua ammonia, or any similar substance pos- 
sessing equally active chemical properties, and 
yet alcohol, in a pure state, is scarcely less 
active than the substances mentioned. 

3. — Alcohol is a Desiccant. — Pure alcohol 
is a most powerful drying agent, on account of 
its great affinity for water. So great is its 
avidity for water that it is extremely difficult 
to obtain it in a perfectly pure state, and it is 
equally difficult to preserve it free from water 
when it has been made so by delicate chemical 
processes. A piece of flesh placed in alcohol 
soon becomes shriveled, hard, and leathery from 
the action of the alcohol upon its albuminoid 
elements. This action is readily shown by the 
following simple experiment : — 

Place in a goblet the whites of two or three 
eggs from which the yolks have been careful ly 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. I 57 

removed. Now add two or three tablespoonfuls 
of strong alcohol. In a minute or two the color- 
less, transparent albumen has become opaque, 
white, and hard, as though it had been dropped 
into boiling water. 

A piece of the most tender steak placed in 
alcohol becomes in a few days as tough as sole 
leather. 

It is due, in part, to this desiccating or drying 
property that alcohol does its work of destruc- 
tion upon the blood corpuscles, the liver, the 
brain, and various other parts of the body. The 
brain of a hard drinker can be distinguished from 
that of a total abstainer by its hardness. The 
famous anatomist, Hyrti, asserted that he could 
tell the brain of a drunkard in the dissecting- 
room in the dark. 

4. — Alcohol is an Antiseptic. — Although 
itself the result of fermentation, alcohol has the 
remarkable property of preventing this change 
in other substances. It has been suggested that 
this is an argument in favor of its use as a 
beverage, as it may prevent the destruction of 
the tissues and so preserve life. The argument 
is in the highest degree fallacious. Alcohol pre- 
serves from decay, but not from death. 

A few years ago the writer heard of an old 
gentleman who had reached the advanced age 
of one hundred and seventeen years. Thinking 
that this remarkable age might have been at- 



158 THE HOUSEHOLD 

tained through temperate habits of life, he took 
considerable pains to hunt him up. To his dis- 
appointment, he learned before seeing the cen- 
tenarian that he had been addicted to the use 
of whisky and tobacco for upward of a century. 
He found him puffing away at a short pipe, a 
poor, shriveled-up caricature of humanity, with 
only a partial semblance to human form, quite 
incapable of any enjoyment but the sort of nega- 
tive pleasure afforded by his pipe and toddy ; in 
fact, nothing more nor less than a human pickle, 
— dead, in a practical sense, for thirty or forty 
years, though his friends had neglected to bury 
him. Alcohol makes a very good pickle, but 
human pickles are not useful members of society. 
5. — Alcohol Comes of a Bad Family. — 
"A man is known by the company he keeps." 
This adage is equally as applicable to some 
other things as to men. It holds good respecting 
alcohol, at least. Chemical compounds are di- 
vided into groups, the various members of which 
possess similar characters as regards composition 
and properties ; and it is not usual to find one 
member of such a group possessing only whole- 
some or negative properties, while all the rest 
are virulent poisons. Among the various groups 
of chemical compounds referred to, there is one 
known as the "Alcohol Group." The following 
is a list of the principal members of the — 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. I 59 

ALCOHOL FAMILY. 

Chem. Comp. 

Methylic Alcohol (naphtha), C H 3 HO 

Ethylic Alcohol (com. Alcohol), C 2 H 5 HO 

Propylic Alcohol, C 3 H 7 HO 

Butylic Alcohol, C 4 H 9 HO 

Amylic Alcohol (fusel oil), C 5 H„ HO 

The first, Methylic Alcohol, or wood naptha, 
is derived from the distillation of wood. It pro- 
duces intoxication very quickly, when drunk, 
but its effects are very transient, owing to its 
great volatility. 

The second in the list, Ethylic Alcohol, or wine 
spirit, is the intoxicating element of spirituous 
liquors, and is obtained by the distillation of 
fermented liquids. The most common form in 
which it is used as a beverage is in brandy, 
whisky, beer, wine, etc. It is seldom found 
pure in commerce, being usually mixed with 
water. This variety of alcohol is more intox- 
icating in its effects, and more injurious to the 
vital tissues, than the preceding. 

Propylic Alcohol, like the preceding, is ob- 
tained by distillation, being one of the by-prod- 
ucts of the process of making common alcohol 
from fermented grain. It is not used as an 
intoxicant, except as an impurity of ordinary 
liquors ; but when obtained in a pure state, as 
it has been for purposes of experiment, it is 



l6o THE HOUSEHOLD 

found to be heavier and still more intoxicating 
than the preceding. 

Butylic Alcohol, the fourth in the list, is gen- 
erally obtained by the fermentation of beet root. 
This member of the family is still more active 
in intoxicating properties than those already 
mentioned, producing an intoxication which is 
very slowly recovered from, and in which there 
is very great prostration, trembling of the mus- 
cles, and great coldness. 

Amy lie Alcohol, or fusel oil, is produced in 
the fermentation of potatoes, and also, to some 
extent, in the fermentation of grains and fruits. 
It has a burning taste and pungent odor, and is 
the characteristic constituent of bad whisky. A 
few drops of fusel oil will produce as profound 
an intoxicating effect as a considerable quantity 
oi ordinary alcohol, which accounts for the in- 
furiating and deadly effects of bad whisky, as well 
as its rapidly fatal properties, as seen among 
miners, negroes, and Indians. The deadly ef- 
fects of cheap rum from the West Indies have 
become so manifest in some of the South Sea 
Islands controlled by the English Government, 
that it has become necessary to prohibit its in- 
troduction. 

There are numerous other alcohols closely allied 
to those mentioned, and with similar properties, 
besides those numerous other compounds which 
are classed bv the chemist in the "alcohol 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. l6r 

series," among which are the well-known sub- 
stances, carbolic acid and creosote, the caustic 
and poisonous properties of which are too well 
known to require more than mention. If not 
own brothers, these compounds are at least 
cousins of ' ' the .demon of the cup. " 

A DOZEN CHILDREN OF BACCHUS. 

The Et hylic member of the ' ' Alcohol Family " 
has a numerous progeny, representatives of which 
are found in all the countries of the globe. The 
chief of those in common use as beverages in 
this country are included in the following table, 
which also gives the percentage of alcohol each 



contains : — 










Per cent. 




Per cent. 


Small Beer, 


1-3 


Whisky, 


46 


Cider, 


5 


Rum, 


48 


Perry, 


5 


Brandy, 


54 


Ale, 


10-20 


"Bitters," 


6-60 


Wine, 


7-25 


Jamaica Ginger, 




Gin, 


1 39 


Absinthe, 





It will be noticed that the ' ' bitters " given 
above ( Richardson's ) contain more than the 
strongest rum. "Temperance Bitters" are more 
than one sixth alcohol; and "Vinegar Bitters," 
the manufacturers of which publish a temper- 
ance almanac to advertise it, and claim that it 
is absolutely free from alcohol, contains more 
alcohol than small beer, hard cider, or light 
wine. These "bitters," with scores of others 
have an immense sale, thousands making ha- 



1 62 THE HOUSEHOLD 

bitual use of them who profess to be total ab- 
stainers. Several of them are kept on the coun- 
ters of bar-keepers as regularly as ' ' Holland 
Gin," "Jamaica Rum," or "Old Rye." 

"Jamaica Ginger" will burn like pure alcohol, 
and absinthe is a compound of very strong alco- 
hol with oil of wormwood. The latter intoxicant 
has been introduced into this country only very 
recently, but is to be seen displayed in the win- 
dows of the grogshops in certain parts of New 
York and other large cities. It has been in 
use in France for many years, and as we were 
credibly informed when in Paris, is there well 
recognized as exceedingly deadly in its effects, 
producing speedy derangement of the stomach 
and a rapid decline. 

6.— Alcohol is a Poison to Plants. — Vital 
properties are pretty much the same in a general 
way, whether manifested by a mushroom or a 
man ; and any substance which will destroy the 
life of a plant is not likely to be wholesome for 
human beings. If a plant be watered with a 
solution of alcohol, its leaves soon wither, turn 
yellow, and the plant dies, even when the pro- 
portion of alcohol is so small as one part in one 
thousand parts of water. 

7. — Alcohol is a Poison to Animals. — A 
tadpole dropped into a vessel containing alcohol 
dies in a minute. Leeches and other small an- 
imals succumb in like manner. Some time ago 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 1 63 

the writer tried an experiment with small min- 
nows, the following description of which is quoted 
from a lecture before the Lake Bluff Temper- 
ance Convocation, August, 1882: — 

' ' I made an experiment the other day with 
some minnows. First I put a minnow into a 
glass containing two teaspoonfuls of alcohol in 
a half pint of water. In five seconds it turned 
over on its back, in ten seconds it began to float 
toward the top, and in sixty seconds it was dead. 
I thought that if I dropped another into a glass 
containing pure alcohol, it would die at once. I 
tried it, and the minnow lived for three minutes. 
I then put a minnow out on the table, and it 
lived for six or seven minutes. I determined 
that the reason for this carious result was that 
when the minnow was put on the table it sim- 
ply died of suffocation. In the first case, where 
the fluid was about the strength of small beer, 
the minnow became saturated with the alcohol 
inside as well as outside, by taking it in through 
the gills, and thus died of alcoholic poisoning. 
In the second case, the gills closed firmly as soon 
as the minnow was dropped into the alcohol, 
and it died because it could not breathe, just 
as the other one died when laid out on the table. 
This might be taken to show that, in the case 
of the minnow, at least, moderate drinking is 
more fatal to longevity than hard drinking." 

A New York journal recently reports a series 



164 THE HOUSEHOLD 

of experiments by a French physician on the 
influence of alcoholic liquors on fowls, as fol- 
lows : — 

' ' He administered to them brandy and ab- 
sinthe, and found one and all to take so kindly 
to their unwonted stimulants that he was forced 
to limit each bird to a daily allowance of six 
cubic centimeters of spirits or twelve of wine. 
There was an extraordinary development of 
cocks' crests, and a rapid and general loss of 
flesh. The experiments were continued until it 
appeared that two months' absinthe drinking 
sufficed to kill the strongest cock or hen, while 
the brandy drinkers lived four months and a half, 
and the wine bibbers held on for ten months, 
before they died the drunkard's death. " 

The eminent Dr. Dujardin Beaumetz, of Paris, 
has been engaged for some years in conducting 
experiments on the effect of alcohol on various 
animals, chiefly pigs, and finds it to be uniformly 
that of a poison. 

A brilliant writer wittily says, ' ' If lower animals 
were addicted to the drug to one tenth the de- 
gree man is, in a short time there would not 
remain upon the face of the earth an animal 
which would be tamable, workable, or eatable." 

8. — Alcohol is a Poison to Human Be- 
ings. — Notwithstanding the apparent impunity 
with which diluted alcohol in the form of vari- 
ous liquors may be taken, pure alcohol is rapidly 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 1 65 

and certainly fatal when taken into the stomach 
without dilution. Cases of instant death from 
drinking a considerable quantity of strong liquor 
have often been recorded ; and numerous cases 
of death from this cause are constantly occurring 
in every large city. As we shall show here- 
after, alcohol in every form is still a poison, the 
rapidity of its effects being largely determined 
by the degree of dilution in which it is introduced 
into the system. 

9. — Alcohol is a Destructive Agent. — 
Aside from its poisonous character, using the 
word in the ordinary sense, alcohol is a destruc- 
tive agent. When pure, it possesses properties 
closely allied to those of a caustic, and when 
taken into the mouth occasions an intense burn- 
ing. Applied closely to the skin, it speedily 
destroys it. This is exactly what would be ex- 
pected of any chemical agent possessing such 
active properties. 

10. — Alcohol is an Irritant. — The irrita- 
ting effects of alcohol are readily observed by 
placing a drop upon a raw surface, or in contact 
with some sensitive organ, as the eye. Even 
a very dilute solution will produce intense in- 
flammation. Still more profound, though for 
the time less sensibly irritating, effects are pro- 
duced when the alcohol is absorbed into the 
system and comes in immediate contact with 
the delicate internal structures of the body. 



I 66 THE HOUSEHOLD 

11. — Alcohol as a Narcotic. — Alcohol is ex- 
citing in its first effects ; but like most other sub- 
stances of similar nature, its secondary and more 
prominent effect is narcotizing. It benumbs the 
sensibilities. If a man is exhausted, it relieves 
the feeling of fatigue by obtunding his senses, 
not by replenishing his wasted energy. Persons 
who have died from the effects of an overdose 
of alcohol, present all the indications of narcotic 
poisoning. 

12. — Alcohol as an Anaesthetic. — A table- 
spoonful of strong alcohol held in the mouth for 
two or three minutes, will obtund the sense of 
taste so as to render a person unable to de- 
termine between sweet and sour, saline and 
bitter. If taken in sufficient quantity, it will 
relieve the sense of pain sufficiently to enable 
a surgeon to perform an operation with little or 
no suffering on the part of the patient. 

13. — Alcohol as a Food. — The aristocratic 
toper who wishes to give an air of respectability 
to his vice, will claim that alcohol is a food. 
He will cite, in proof, instances in which per- 
sons have lived for weeks by the aid of no other 
nutriment, taking nothing but alcohol and water. 
This semblance of argument scarcely needs ex- 
posure ; for the most that can be claimed is that 
it proves merely that persons have lived several 
weeks while taking only alcohol and water. The 
fact that individuals have in several instances 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 1 67 

been known to live from thirty to sixty days 
while taking only water, shows conclusively that 
those persons who lived a shorter time on brandy 
and water, lived in spite of the alcohol instead 
of by the aid of it. 

14. — Alcohol is Not a Beverage in a 
Physiological Sense. — Water is the only 
drink ; that is, the only liquid capable of sup- 
plying the demand of the system for fluid. The 
various beverages in common use are of value 
only to the extent that they contain water, the 
universal solvent. Alcohol, then, is neither food 
nor drink. It satisfies the craving for food, but 
does not replenish the tissues. Although a liquid, 
instead of supplying the needs of the system for 
liquid food, it creates a demand and a necessity 
for more. 

15.— Alcohol Makes Bad Blood.— Those 
who have maintained that alcohol is a food have 
made many experiments for the purpose of es- 
tablishing their theory upon scientific ground. 
By these experiments it has been found that 
the urine and other excretions contain less of 
the worn-out material of the tissues when a per- 
son is using alcohol than when he is abstaining. 
From this alone it is concluded that alcohol 
prevents the wearing out or disintegration of 
tissue — a most astonishing conclusion. No one 
but a man stoutly prejudiced in favor of alcohol 
would think of forming such a conclusion. A 



1 68 THE HOUSEHOLD 

far more rational deduction from the premises 
would be that the presence of alcohol in the 
system prevents the excretory organs from elim- 
inating from the body the dead and poisonous 
products which result from the wearing out of 
the tissues. This conclusion would seem to be 
far more reasonable, since alcohol itself is a 
poison which is thrown out by the same organs 
whose proper function it is to remove the debris 
of the tissues. These organs cannot perform 
more than a certain amount of labor. If most 
of their activity is expended in eliminating alco- 
hol, of course they can perform less of their 
proper labor, and so the dead products of dis- 
organization will be left to accumulate in the 
body, and produce a deceptive increase of 
weight. It is by this means that the drunkard 
often acquires a bloated appearance. Every 
one knows that such an accumulation of tissue 
is not healthy flesh ; yet it is of the same char- 
acter as that which leads some prejudiced scien- 
tists to pronounce in favor of alcoholic beverages 
as a preventive of waste. 

It is on account of this impure state of the 
system that the flesh of spirit-drinkers is noto- 
riously so difficult to heal in cases of wounds 
or surgical operations. 

16. — Alcohol Destroys the Blood. — When 
this fiery drug is taken into the stomach, it is 
soon absorbed into the circulation, where it 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 1 69 

comes in contact with the corpuscles of the 
blood. No sooner does it touch these little 
bodies than they begin to shrink, and soon 
lose all resemblance to their natural appear- 
ance. In a short time, they are seen to be 
breaking up into fragments ; and in five min- 
utes from the commencement of the experiment, 
the once beautiful and symmetrical little bodies 
which compose one half of the blood, are re- 
duced to broken fragments and shapeless masses. 
They have been fairly cut into pieces and eaten 
up by the alcohol. * 

The contact of alcohol with the corpuscles 
also causes them to lose their coloring matter, 
a very important part, as it is by means of this 
that they are enabled to perform their work as 
oxygen carriers. This effect may be observed 
in -hose which give no other evidence of injury 
from the alcohol. When taken in considerable 
quantity, it causes the corpuscles to adhere to- 
gether in little bundles, thus occasioning ob- 
structions of the capillaries. 

' ' But what harm does this do ? " says the 
drunkard or the moderate drinker ; ' ' the loss 
of a few blood corpuscles cannot be of any 
great consequence." The ultimate effect is the 
same as though the supply of air was cut off 
from the lungs by a cord tightly drawn around 
the neck. The business of the red blood cor- 
puscles is to carry oxygen from the lungs to the 



I70 THE HOUSEHOLD 

tissues. If they are destroyed, oxygen cannot 
be carried in sufficient quantity, and the blood 
becomes foul, being charged with large quanti- 
ties of carbonic acid, the poisonous substance 
which ought to be replaced by oxygen. One 
of the quickest known ways of destroying life 
is to cause an animal to inhale a poisonous gas 
known as carbonous oxide, which has the effect 
of paralyzing all the blood corpuscles. Alcohol 
does the same thing just in proportion to the 
quantity taken. 

17. — Alcoholic Degeneration. — In addition 
to its effects upon the corpuscles, alcohol pro- 
duces other serious changes. One of the most 
important of these is coagulation or thickening 
of the fibrine of the blood, which occasions the 
formation of little clots, which are swept along 
in the blood current until they reach the finest 
capillaries, where they are lodged, thus obstruct- 
ing the circulation, and, according to the em- 
inent Prof. Carpenter of England, constituting 
the first beginning of organic disease of the nerve 
centers and other important organs. These mi- 
nute clots often occasion troublesome abscesses, 
and when they become large, as they sometimes 
do, they may produce instant death by the plug- 
ging up of a large artery in the brain, an accident 
which, there is every reason to believe, is not 
uncommon in persons addicted to the use of 
large quantities of alcoholic spirits. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. I71 

Alcohol also greatly increases the amount of 
fat in the blood, probably by preventing the 
changes necessary to the complete digestion or 
assimilation of fat. In consequence of this sur- 
plus of free fat in the blood, fatty degeneration 
of the heart, vessels, liver, kidneys, and in fact 
of every part of the body, is induced, the fat 
particles being deposited in these various organs 
in place of their proper tissue. 

It may be further objected that these changes 
do not occur unless very large quantities of alco- 
hol are used. This, again, is an error. Dr. 
Carpenter is authority for the assertion that the 
changes in the corpuscles and in the fibrine of 
the blood take place when not more than one 
part of alcohol to five hundred of blood is em- 
ployed. Thus it will be seen that the very 
weakest wines are unsafe, since none of them 
contain less than from three to five per cent. 
Even small beer would be capable of doing mis- 
chief in this way. 

18. — A Drunkard's Heart. — When alcohol 
is taken into the blood, it soon comes in contact 
with the nerve centers which govern the action 
of the heart. Its effect is the same as upon the 
other nerve centers. It paralyzes them, just as 
chloroform does the brain. Then the heart is 
Hke a steam engine without a governor, or a 
clock from which the pendulum weight has 
been removed. It runs down with wonderful 



I J2 THE HOUSEHOLD 

rapidity. This effect is largely due, also, to 
the influence of alcohol upon the small blood- 
vessels. The nerves which control them be- 
come paralyzed, and they become dilated or 
relaxed, and so afford less resistance to the ac- 
tion of the heart, allowing it to beat too rap- 
idly. This increased action is most unfortunately 
mistaken for increase of strength on the part of 
the organ, when it is mere increase of action, — 
wasted force. The amount of extra work done 
by the heart under the influence of liquor may 
be readily estimated. Dr. Parkes, by a series 
of careful experiments, found that the pulse 
of a man whose heart beat about 74 times a 
minute, or 106,000 times in twenty-four hours, 
when drinking only water, was, when under the 
influence of one ounce of alcohol per day, com- 
pelled to beat 430 times more in a day. Two 
ounces of alcohol per day caused an increase of 
1,872 beats a day. Four ounces required 12,960 
extra beats. Six ounces drove the pulse up to 
18,432 extra beats ; and eight ounces, to 25,488 
unnecessary beats, or more than one quarter 
more than when taking only water. 

Assuming ten pounds as the actual amount of 
force expended at each beat, we may readily 
ascertain the amount of force wasted through 
the increased action of the heart by different 
quantities of alcohol. Thus, one ounce of alco- 
hol, with 430 extra beats, caused a waste of 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. I 73 

4, 300 pounds of force ; that is, of force equiva- 
lent to that expended in lifting 4, 300 pounds 
one foot high in a minute. When two ounces 
were employed, the wasted force was 18,720 
pounds, etc. With eight ounces of alcohol, the 
force wasted was 254,880 pounds, or more than 
127 tons extra. When we consider how much 
labor would be required to lift 127 tons of coal 
a foot high, or one tenth of that amount ten 
feet high, the result seems almost incredible ; 
but there is neither reason nor opportunity for 
doubting the fact. 

Dr. Parkes observed that after the conclusion 
of the experiment, five or six days elapsed be- 
fore the young man experimented upon recov- 
ered his natural condition, and the alcohol was 
fully eliminated, the heart in the meantime re- 
maining weaker than natural, as shown by the 
sphygmograph. 

When alcohol is taken into the blood, it soon 
comes in contact with the nerve centers which 
govern the action of the heart. Its effect is the 
same as upon other nerve centers. It paralyzes 
them, just as chloroform does the brain. 

In addition to this, the fatty particles which 
are so abundant in the blood of a spirit drinker, 
are deposited in the walls of the heart in 
place of the muscular tissues which should com- 
pose them. The walls are thus weakened, and 
are liable at any time to rupture. It is a fact 



174 THE HOUSEHOLD 

well known to physicians that this is one of the 
most common causes of heart disease. 

19.— The Drunkard's Brain.— The brain, 
when healthy, is so soft that it would not retain 
its shape but for the skull. The sharpest knife 
is required to cut it without mangling its struct- 
ure. It is necessary to immerse the organ in 
alcohol for weeks or months in order to harden 
it, when a careful examination is essential. A 
drunkard's brain presents a marked contrast. It 
is already hardened, — pickled almost. In the 
dissecting room, it affords rare pleasure to a 
medical student to secure the desiccated brain of 
an old toper. A celebrated anatomist declared 
that he could tell a drunkard's brain in the dark, 
by the sense of touch alone. A London physi- 
cian reported a case in which he found, upon 
a post-mortem examination, so strong an odor of 
alcohol emanating from the brain, that he ap- 
plied a match to it, when it burst into a flame. 
The quantity of alcohol in the brain is sometimes 
so great that it can be collected by distillation, 
after death. 

20. — Alcoholic Apoplexy. — The intense 
congestion of the brain induced by alcohol, is 
the very condition in which apoplexy or rupture 
of a blood-vessel, is most likely to occur. When 
the walls of the arteries have been weakened by 
fatty degeneration, as already explained, the 
danger is increased many fold. A peculiar con- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 1 75 

-dition of the eye, known as the arcits senilis, is 
often observed in drunkards. This condition 
acquires its name from the fact that it is often 
present in elderly people, in consequence of the 
degeneration which naturally occurs in old age. 
The ring is occasioned by a deposit of fat within 
the upper edge of the cornea, and is often pres- 
ent in persons addicted to the use of alcohol at 
a much earlier period than it should naturally 
make its appearance. Although it does not in 
the least injure the eye, its significance is very 
great, since it indicates that the deposit of fat by 
which it is produced, is taking place in other 
parts of the body, as the brain, the heart, the 
blood-vessels, the liver, and other important 
vital organs. It is a sign hung out in the drunk- 
ard's eye to warn others of the havoc which is 
being made within. 

It has been claimed that old persons require 
alcohol on account of the diminished activity of 
their vital functions. The facts above stated 
show clearly that in old age the danger of injury 
from the use of alcoholic drinks is very greatly 
increased. 

21. — A Toddy Blossom. — One of the signs 
of intemperance which its victims put forth the 
most strenuous efforts to suppress, is that pecul- 
iar enlargement of the nose, with intense red- 
ness, so appropriately termed the ' ' rum blossom." 
Like the drunkard's ring, the rum blossom, al- 



1/6 THE HOUSEHOLD 

though something of a blemish, is chiefly impor- 
tant in consequence of its significance, since it 
does not particularly interfere with the functions 
of the organ to which it is attached. 

22.— The Whisky Flush.— The local blood 
supply of the body is regulated by means of 
special nerves which follow the blood-vessels 
from the heart to their minutest distribution. 
One of the effects of alcohol is to paralyze the 
centers in which these nerves originate, the re- 
sult of which is that the vessels become unnatu- 
rally dilated, allowing too much blood to enter 
various parts, thus occasioning congestions and 
even inflammations. In this way the lungs, 
liver, heart, or any other part of the body may 
become diseased. It is this which causes the 
drunkard's face to flush ; and not only the face 
but the whole body, the brain, the liver, every 
vital organ, is in a state of congestion. Is 
it any wonder that the toper feels depressed 
and enervated, and in need of a "pick me up" 
the next morning after a debauch, or that he 
falls so easily a victim to causes of disease which 
others escape ? 

It was long ago observed that drunkards are 
the favorite victims of cholera, the plague, sun- 
stroke, and other causes of speedy death. The 
system is prepared by the paralyzing influence 
of the drug, for almost any form of malady to 
which human flesh is heir. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 1 77 

23. — Alcoholized Nerves. — Who has not 

observed the trembling, unsteady hand of the 
man who has long been accustomed to the use 
of alcoholic liquors ? Often the shaking member 
deposits a share of his poisonous drams upon the 
ground. If he is a mechanic, he cannot resume 
his work without a strong toddy to steady his 
hand ; if an accountant, he must have a glass to 
clear his head. The condition, at first tempo- 
rary, finally becomes permanent, and thus hope- 
less disease may originate. 

Alcoholic insomnia is a frequent form of nerv- 
ous disturbance induced by drink. While alcohol 
at first acts in many persons as a soporific, its 
final effects are to produce inability to sleep ; or, 
if sleep is not wholly broken, a disturbed, un- 
natural, unrefreshing state of unconsciousness, 
hardly worthy of being called sleep, is induced. 
In natural sleep, the supply of blood to the brain 
is greatly diminished, only a sufficient amount of 
the nutritive fluid circulating in the arteries to 
carry on the reparative work of the brain. Un- 
consciousness is due to this fact. A state of un- 
consciousness may also be produced by extreme 
congestion of the brain, a condition closely allied 
to that which just precedes apoplexy. This is 
the sleep of the drunkard. 

Partial or general paralysis, locomotor ataxia, 
epilepsy, and a host of other nervous disorders, 
are directly traceable to the use of alcohol. 



l yS THE HOUSEHOLD 

24. — The Drunkard's Stomach. — A micro- 
scopical examination of the lining membrane of 
the stomach shows it to be traversed by a dense 
network of blood-vessels, which are wholly in- 
visible so long as the organ remains in a healthy 
condition. Little pockets are also found in which 
are located the peptic glands which form the gas- 
tric juice, the essential agent in the process of 
stomach digestion. In the small intestine below 
the stomach we have a similar arrangement of 
blood-vessels and glands. 

In the well-known case of Alexis St. Martin, 
who suffered from a gun-shot wound which car- 
ried away a considerable portion of the abdomi- 
nal wall and penetrated his stomach, leaving an 
opening after healing, Dr. Beaumont made some 
most interesting experiments regarding the effects 
of alcohol upon the stomach, with the following 
results : — 

Stomach of a Moderate Drinker. — The effect 
of alcohol, as well as of mustard, pepper, pep- 
per-sauce, spices, and condiments, is to produce 
a state of excitement and irritation in the stom- 
ach, the result of which, when frequently re- 
peated, is permanent congestion, and is the cause 
of numerous forms of dyspepsia. But alcohol 
does more than simply irritate the stomach. By 
its antiseptic influence it prevents the digestion 
of the food, and by its chemical properties it 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 1 79 

destroys the activity of the gastric juice, and so 
does triple mischief. 

Stomach of a Hard Drifiker. — In the hard 
drinker the blood-vessels are dilated, as in the 
case of the moderate drinker, and in addition 
small ulcers are seen scattered over the diseased 
surface. The stomach of an old toper may be 
in an ulcerated condition without his being con- 
scious of the fact, as the nerves of the stomach 
are so paralyzed by alcohol that their normal 
sensibility is quite lost. 

The Stomach in Delirium Tremens. — In a per- 
son suffering with what is generally known as 
' ' delirium tremens, " or acute alcoholism, the 
mucous lining of the stomach is in a state of in- 
tense inflammation, so that its functions are 
wholly suspended. Dr. Beaumont observed on 
one occasion, when Alexis St. Martin had been 
drinking heavily for a few days, that, although 
his stomach was in a state of inflammation and 
ulceration, he was unconscious of pain and felt 
no inconvenience, only suffering from a severe 
headache. Post-mortem examinations of per- 
sons who have died of delirium tremens usually 
disclose the stomach black with mortification. 

25. — Drunkard's Dyspepsia. — A drunkard 
is certain to become a dyspeptic. Alcohol tans 
the stomach, rendering it inactive, and causing 
atrophy of the glands which form the gastric 



180 THE HOUSEHOLD 

juice. The supply of this digestive fluid is thus 
diminished. Alcohol precipitates the pepsin from 
the gastric juice, and so renders useless that 
which is secreted. Digestion cannot progress 
while alcohol is in the stomach, being delayed 
until the poison can be absorbed. 

26. — Alcoholic Insanity. — The condition of 
a man under the influence of liquor is precisely 
that of an insane man, as regards his mind. 
When getting drunk is frequently repeated, the 
condition of the mind induced by drink may be- 
come permanent, making the individual a fit 
subject for an insane asylum. 

Intemperance, more than any other cause, 
fills our lunatic and idiotic asylums. Accord- 
ing to the statistics of insanity in France, thirty- 
four per cent of the cases of lunacy among males 
were due to intemperance. One half of the in- 
mates of the Dublin insane asylum owe their 
disease to the use of liquor. Lord Shaftesbury, 
chairman of the English Commission on Lunacy, 
in his report to Parliament, stated that six out 
of every ten lunatics in the asylums were made 
such by alcohol. 

27. — A Drunkard's Liver. — The appear- 
ance of a drunkard's liver is characteristic. 
"Hob-nailed liver" is another name for the 
diseased organ as found in spirit-drinkers. It 
is shrunken, hard, and almost totally useless, 
benumbed alike to pain and to proper sensibil- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. l8l 

ity. Externally it looks like the hob-nailed sole 
of an English cartman's shoe, from which re- 
semblance it received its name. 

This kind of liver is found in those who have 
freely indulged in drink for several years. The 
livers of more moderate drinkers are found filled 
with fat. 

These derangements of the liver give rise to 
numerous other disturbances, of which abdomi- 
nal dropsy is one common form. 

Diabetes, a very fatal malady, especially in 
spirit-drinkers, is a peculiar disease which is 
generally caused by some of these derange- 
ments of the liver. 

Fatty liver, in which the organ sometimes be- 
comes enormously enlarged and changed to fat, 
and nutmeg degeneration, in which it comes to 
resemble the smooth surface of a half-grated 
nutmeg, are also among the common effects of 
alcohol upon habitual users of the poison. 

28. — "Bitters" and "Biliousness." — An 
immense quantity of filthy compounds of bitter" 
extracts and bad whisky or crude alcohol is an- 
nually consumed, much being swallowed even 
by people who profess to be total abstainers. 
The chief active ingredient in most of these 
nostrums is alcohol. Without this ingredient, 
they would soon cease to be popular. 

29. — Beer and Bright's Disease. — The idea 
that beer is harmless because it contains but a. 



1 82 THE HOUSEHOLD 

small proportion of alcohol, has been wholly 
refuted by the observation that Bright's disease 
and other maladies of the kidneys are far more 
frequent among beer-drinkers than among any 
other class of persons. The excessive amount 
of work imposed upon the kidneys by the use 
of the large quantities of beer generally indulged 
in by those addicted to its use, sooner or later 
results in congestion, from which there is but a 
short step to acute or chronic inflammation. 

30. — Drunkards Dropsy. — The bloated feat- 
ures of the sot indicate too plainly for mistake 
the dropsical tendency of the alcohol habit ; and 
the ultimate effects of the poison upon the liver 
and kidneys, as already described, lay the foun- 
dation for one of the most incurable of all the 
forms of dropsy. We have seen many cases of 
dropsy induced in this way, and recovery, even 
under the most favorable circumstances, has 
been very rare indeed. 

31. — Alcoholic Consumption. — Dr. Rich- 
ardson points out the fact that alcohol, instead of 
preventing, actually produces consumption, and 
that of a most fatal type. He states that a person 
suffering from alcoholic phthisis shows no im- 
provement under treatment. The disease, stead- 
ily, surely, and usually quite rapidly, progresses 
to a fatal termination. 

32. — Alcohol vs. Strength. — The laborer, 
the traveler, and the soldier use alcohol under 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 1 83 

the delusion that it strengthens. When fa- 
tigued, the laborer takes a glass of grog and 
feels better, or thinks he does. He imagines 
himself stronger. His increased strength, how- 
ever, is wholly a matter of the imagination. 

The use of alcohol makes a man feel stronger 
— makes him believe that he can do more work, 
endure more fatigue and hardship, and with- 
stand a greater degree of cold than he could 
without it ; but when an actual trial is made, it 
soon becomes apparent that the ability is lack- 
ing. Numerous experiments have shown that 
alcohol decreases muscular strength. Says Dr. 
Brinton, ' ' The smallest quantity takes some- 
what from the strength of the muscles." Says 
Dr. Edmunds, of London, ' ' A stimulant is that 
which gets strength out of a man." 

33. — Alcoholized Muscles. — Among the 
other degenerations produced by alcohol, fatty 
degeneration of the muscles should be men- 
tioned. This degeneration consists in a change 
of the proper muscular tissue to fat. The pro- 
cess may involve all the muscles of the body, 
or simply a few, as those of the heart and blood- 
vessels. It is an injury which can be in no way 
repaired, and must inevitably end in death. 

34. — Stimulation not Strength. — If by a 
stimulant we are to understand something which 
imparts force to the body when weakened by 
disease, then it is evident that alcohol can be 



1 84 THE HOUSEHOLD 

of no service in this direction ; for, as already 
shown, it is incapable of supplying force, under- 
going no change in the body. All force arises 
from changes in matter. The forces manifested 
by the living system are the result of vital 
changes occurring in its tissues. 

If by a stimulant is meant something which 
excites nervous action, which calls out the man- 
ifestation of force, then alcohol is certainly a 
stimulant. And it is in this sense only that it 
is a stimulant. The lash is a stimulant to a 
tired horse. It does not increase his force, or 
make him any less tired. It only compels him 
to use a little more of his already depleted 
strength. 

35. — Alcohol vs. Animal Heat. — The sen- 
sation of warmth produced by taking a glass of 
wine or brandy is delusive. The circulation is 
unbalanced, and for a few moments there is a 
seeming increase of heat ; but the thermometer 
shows that the temperature is lessened. Says 
Dr. Parkes, the eminent English sanitarian, 
4 ' All observers condemn the use of spirits, and 
even of wine or beer, as a preventive against 
cold." The names of Dr. King, Dr. Kane, Cap- 
tain Kennedy, and Dr. Hayes, may be cited as 
holding to this opinion. In the last expedition 
in search of Sir John Franklin, the whole crew 
were teetotalers. 

Prof. Miller states that the Russian military 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 1 85 

authorities "interdict its use absolutely in the 
army when troops are about to move under ex- 
treme cold, — part of the duty of the corporals 
being to smell carefully the breath of each man 
on the morning parade, and to turn back from 
the march those who have indulged in spirits, it 
having been found that such men are peculiarly 
subject to be frost-bitten and otherwise injured." 

Dr. Carpenter is authority for the statement 
that the Hudson's Bay Company have for many 
years entirely excluded spirits from the fur coun- 
tries to the north, over which they have ex- 
clusive control, "to the great improvement," 
as Sir John Richardson states, ' ' of the health 
and morals of their Canadian servants, and of 
the Indian tribes." 

36. — Alcohol vs. Mental Power. — Thou- 
sands of editors, lawyers, students, authors, and 
even clergymen, keep beside their midnight 
lamps a bottle of wine or brandy, and consider 
one as indispensable as the other. They im- 
agine that with the frequent drams they quaff 
from that green bottle, they imbibe an increase 
of mental vigor. Thousands of lecturers, ora- 
tors, and ministers, sip a glass of sparkling poi- 
son just before they step upon the platform. 
The first imagines that alcohol is necessary to 
enliven his energies and sharpen his memory. 
The second relies upon alcohol to burnish his 
eloquence. The third depends upon the poi- 



I 86 THE HOUSEHOLD 

sonous beverage to quicken his pious zeal, in- 
tensify his fervor, and lend him inspiration for 
the duties of his office. We might justly dwell 
upon the absurdity of such practices, and well 
question the efficiency of a gospel shrouded with 
the fumes of alcohol. 

37. — Alcohol a General Disturber in the 
Vital Economy. — Close upon the derange- 
ment of the stomach which is certain to come 
sooner or later with all drinkers, follows nearly 
every other functional disease possible to the 
human system. Every organ is disturbed. The 
whole vital machinery is deranged. Strange 
noises are heard in the head, occasioned by the 
rushing of the hot torrent of poisoned blood 
through the distended blood-vessels which pass 
near the ear. Black spots and cobweb appear- 
ances annoy the sight. Alcoholic amaurosis or 
amblyopia comes on, and sight becomes im- 
paired ; sometimes blindness follows. The di- 
lated blood-vessels of the skin become per- 
manently enlarged, especially in the face and 
nose, and the drinker gets a rum blossom. Skin 
diseases of various sorts are likely to appear, 
particularly eczema of the fingers or toes, or on 
the shins. An unquenchable thirst seems to be 
ever consuming the blood, and nothing but alco- 
hol will even temporarily assuage the desire for 
drink. 

The liver and kidneys are disturbed in their 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 1 87 

functions, one day being almost totally inactive 
through congestion, and the next rallying to their 
woik and doing double duty. Every organ feels 
the effect of the abuse through indulgence in 
alcohol, and no function is left undisturbed. 
By degrees, disordered function, through long 
continuance of the disturbance, induces tissue 
change. The imperfectly repaired organs suf- 
fer more and more in structure, until the most 
extensive and disastrous changes have taken 
place. 

38. — Alcohol vs. Longevity. — It is very 
easy to prove that the influence of alcohol, as 
of every other poison, is to shorten life. Dr. 
Willard Parker, of New York,, shows from sta- 
tistics that for every ten temperate persons who 
die between the ages of twenty-one and thirty, 
fifty-one intemperate persons die. Thus it ap- 
pears that the mortality of liquor-users is five 
hundred per cent greater than that of temperate 
persons. These statements were based on the 
tables used by life-insurance companies. 

Notwithstanding the constant protest of both 
moderate and immoderate drinkers that alcohol 
does not harm them, that it is a necessary stimulus, 
a preventive of fevers, colds, consumption, etc., 
and the assertion of certain scientists that it is 
a conservative agent, preventing waste and so 
prolonging life, the distinguished English actu- 
ary, Mr. Neison, has shown from statistical 



1 88 THE HOUSEHOLD 

data which cannot be controverted, that while 
the temperate man has at twenty years of age 
an average chance of living forty-four and one 
fifth years, the drinking man has a prospect of 
only fifteen and one half years of life. At thirty 
years of age, the temperate man may expect to 
live thirty-six and one half years, while the dram- 
drinker will be pretty certain to die in less than 
fourteen years. 

39. — Moderate Drinking, Mild Poisoning. 
— Moderate drinkers do not escape. ' ' Chronic 
alcoholism" is the disease which fastens upon 
them, and its symptoms are as distinct as those of 
any other disease. Gout and rheumatism are 
the special patrons of the moderate topers, the 
wine-bibbers. Neuralgia is another comforter 
of small tipplers. General nervous debility and 
dyspepsia also find a great proportion of this 
class among their victims. 

It is quite useless for moderate drinkers to 
suppose that by using alcohol in small quantities 
they escape its evil effects. It is a poison in all 
doses. As Dr. Smith says, ' ' In whatever dose, 
the direction of the action of the alcohol must 
be the same." 

Says Dr. Chambers, ' ' The action of frequent 
divided drams is to produce the greatest amount 
of harm of which alcohol is capable, with the 
least amount of good." 

The effect of the constant action of a small 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 1 89 

quantity of the poison is far greater than that 
of excessive, but only occasional, quantities. 
Hence the habitual moderate drinker, even of 
wine, beer, or hard cider, is much more subject 
to chronic nervous disorders and degenerations 
of various sorts, than the man who goes on a 
spree once in two or three months. 

40.— The Entailments of Alcohol.— The 
drinker himself is not the only sufferer from 
his vice. Indeed, it seems in many cases that 
he is not the greatest sufferer. He may even 
live out his threescore years and ten, in ap- 
parent defiance of the laws of nature and the 
warnings of friends ; but look at his children. 
Are they as strong and robust as he ? — Oh ! no ; 
instead, we often see them frail, nervous, im- 
becile, idiotic, — poor specimens of the race. 
The iniquities of the father are visited upon 
the children. 

Dr. S. G. Howe attributed one half of the 
cases of idiocy in the State of Massachusetts 
to intemperance, and he is sustained in his 
opinion by the most reliable authorities. Dr. 
Howe states that there were seven idiots in 
one family where both parents were drunkards. 
One half of the idiots in England are of drunken 
parentage, and the same is true of Sweden, and 
probably of most European countries. It is 
said that in St. Petersburg most of the idiots 
come of drunken parents. 



I90 THE HOUSEHOLD 

Ten Scientific Arguments Against 
Tobacco-Using. 

1. — The Custom is a Barbarous One. — 

This statement is true, both as regards its charac- 
ter and its origin. In the month of November, 
1492, when Columbus discovered the island of 
Cuba, he sent two sailors to explore it, who 
reported, when they returned, among many 
other strange and curious discoveries, that the 
natives carried with them lighted fire-brands, 
and puffed smoke from their mouths and noses, 
which they supposed to be the way the savages 
had of perfuming themselves. They afterward 
declared that they "saw the naked savages 
twist large leaves together, and smoke like 
devils." 

2. — It is a Deadly Poison. — The active prin- 
ciple of tobacco, that is, that to which its nar- 
cotic and poisonous properties are due, is nico- 
tine, a heavy, oily substance which may be 
separated from the dried leaf of the plant by 
distillation or infusion. The proportion of nico- 
tine varies from two to eight per cent, Kentucky 
and Virginia tobacco usually containing six or 
seven per cent. A pound of tobacco contains, 
on an average, three hundred and eighty grains 
of this deadly poison, of which one tenth of 
a grain will kill a dog in three minutes. A 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. I9I 

case is on record in which a man was killed in 
thirty seconds, by this poison. 

The poison contained in a single pound of 
tobacco is sufficient to kill three hundred men, 
if taken in such a way as to secure its full effect. 
A single cigar contains poison enough to ex- 
tinguish two human lives, if taken at once. 

3. — Effects of Tobacco on the Blood. — 
When taken in any form, tobacco very readily 
finds its way into the blood, and, according to 
Dr. B. W. Richardson, it produces in the vital 
fluid very serious changes. He describes these 
changes in the following graphic words : — 

4 ' On the blood, the prolonged inhalation of 
tobacco produces changes which are very marked 
in character. The fluid is thinner than is natu- 
ral, and in extreme cases paler. In some in- 
stances the deficient color of the blood is com- 
municated to the body altogether, rendering the 
external surface yellowish-white and puffy. The 
blood, being thin, also exudes too freely, and a 
cut surface bleeds for a long time, and may con- 
tinue to bleed inconveniently, even in opposition 
to remedies. But the most important influence 
is exerted over those little bodies which float 
in myriads in the blood and are known as the 
red corpuscles. These bodies have naturally a 
double concave surface, and at their edges a 
perfectly smooth outline. The absorption of 



192 THE HOUSEHOLD 

fumes of tobacco necessarily leads to rapid 
changes in them ; they lose their round shape, 
becoming oval and irregular ; and instead of 
having a mutual attraction for each other and 
running together, a good sign of physical health, 
they lie loosely scattered before the eye, and 
indicate to the learned observer, as clearly as 
though they spoke to him and said the words, 
that* the man from whom they were taken is 
physically depressed and deplorably deficient 
both in muscular and mental power." 

4. — Smokers' Sore Throat. — The redness 
and dryness of the mucous lining of the mouth 
and throat so common with smokers, is the re- 
sult of the direct irritation of the hct fumes of the 
poisonous weed, which are drawn in through the 
pipe or cigar. This cause of chronic disease of 
the throat is so very common that ' ' smokers ' 
sore throat " has come to be recognized as a dis- 
tinct malady. Some smokers pretend to smoke 
for the cure of throat difficulties ; but the excuse 
is a mere pretense in most cases. Tobacco never 
cures sore throat. It may temporarily relieve 
local irritation, but can do no more, and always 
increases the disease. 

5. — Smokers' Heart. — The effect of tobacco 
upon the heart is indicated by the pulse, which 
is a most accurate index to the condition of the 
heart. The pulse of a tobacco-user says, in 
terms as plain as any words could, that his 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 1 93 

heart is partly paralyzed, that its force and 
vigor are diminished, that it is, in fact, poi- 
soned. Medical statistics show that about one 
in every four smokers has this condition. There 
is good evidence for believing that not only func- 
tional but organic disease of the heart may be 
occasioned by the use of tobacco. 

6. — Smokers' Cancer. — There is no chance to 
doubt that tobacco-using is often a cause of this 
terrible disease. All eminent surgeons testify 
that they frequently meet cases of cancer of the 
lip and tongue which have been occasioned by 
smoking. In the great hospitals of this country 
and Europe, we have seen many cases of smok- 
ers' cancer, besides a number which we have 
met in our own practice. 

7. — Tobacco-Users' Dyspepsia. — Tobacco 
is a narcotic. The effect of narcotics generally 
is to lessen the secretion of gastric juice, and to 
decrease the activity of the stomach. Tobacco 
does this in a very marked degree. A man who 
is hungry may appease his desire for food by 
using tobacco, if he is accustomed to it, or by 
the employment of some other narcotic. The: 
desire is appeased, although the need still exists.. 
It is through this same paralyzing influence that 
tobacco impairs digestion. 

8. — Nicotinized Nerves. — Tobacco-users 
suffer much from nervousness, which is mani- 
fested in a great variety of ways. One person is 



194 THE HOUSEHOLD 

easily startled, another is unnaturally irritable, 
is cross and irascible ; another cannot sleep at 
night ; still another suffers with trembling of 
the hands, which greatly discommodes him in 
writing. 

We have often known women and young 
children to suffer very severely from various 
nervous disorders which were wholly due to the 
.effect upon their delicate organizations of the 
poisonous fumes of tobacco which they received 
through the poison-laden exhalations of their 
smoking husbands and fathers. 

9. — Tobacco Paralysis. — In the last thirty 
years, there has been a great increase in the 
frequency of the occurrence of a peculiar form 
of paralysis which seems to affect especially the 
nerves that supply the muscles, causing gradual 
wasting and loss of muscular power, which is 
fairly attributable to the increasing use of to- 
bacco, as it most often occurs in tobacco-users. 

A form of progressive paralysis of the optic 
nerve, causing "tobacco amaurosis," or blind- 
ness, is well recognized by oculists. These cases 
generally recover when tobacco is discon- 
tinued, but will not get well so long as it is 
used. 

Tobacco-blindness is very common in Ireland, 
where very strong tobacco is used. It is caused 
both by smoking and chewing. 

Color-blindness, an affection which is in- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 1 95 

creasing to an alarming extent, especially in 
Belgium and Germany, where smoking is more 
extensively practiced even than in this country, 
has been found to be largely attributable to the 
use of tobacco. This fact was first made known 
by an eminent Belgian physician who made ex- 
tensive investigations upon the subject at the 
request of the Belgian Government. 

10. — The Tobacco Legacy. — There is no 
vice or habit to which men are addicted, the re- 
sults of which are more certainly transmitted to 
posterity than are those of tobacco-using. A vig- 
orous man may use tobacco all his life, and be 
able to convince himself all the time that he is 
receiving no injury ; but the children of that 
man, who ought to inherit from him a vigorous 
constitution and high health, are robbed of their 
rightful patrimony instead, and enter upon life 
with a weakly vital organism, with a system pre- 
disposed to disease and destined to premature 
decay. 



The Stimulant Habit. — Our war against al- 
cohol and other stimulants is not based upon 
the specific influence of alcohol, tobacco, tea, 
coffee, or opium, but upon the fact that these 
substances are all artificial stimulants, — that is, 
by their use the body is harmed, and the vital 
power is weakened by the consumption of en- 



I96 THE HOUSEHOLD 

ergy which is not in any way reinforced by the 
substance employed. There are many other 
substances besides those named above which 
possess this same property, such as hashish, Si- 
berian fungus, strychnia, and arsenic. Dr. Nor- 
man Kerr, in a recent article, records cases 
which have come under his own observations, 
in which persons have taken from ten to fifteen 
grains of arsenic, and claimed to have been im- 
proved by it. According to Dr. Kerr, ladies 
swallow arsenic to improve their personal ap- 
pearance, and also use it externally for the com- 
plexion. Gentlemen are also addicted to this 
practice, and both sexes take arsenic as a 
fillip and general tonic. Nor is the habit con- 
fined to the wealthy. On one occasion, while 
crossing a ferry, Dr. Kerr saw a boatman rest 
on his oars and take a drink out of a pocket- 
flask. The beverage was a preparation of ar- 
senic, and the dose was enough to kill any four 
average men. 

The Effects of Alcohol on Digestion. — 
Prof. Kochlakoff, of St. Petersburg, recently 
experimented on five healthy persons, aged from 
twenty to twenty-four years, with reference to 
the effects of alcohol upon digestion. Ten min- 
utes before each meal, each person was given 
about three ounces of alcoholic liquor, contain- 
ing from five to fifty per cent of alcohol, about 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 1 97 

the proportion found in ordinary liquors. The 
following results were obtained : — - 

"1. Under the influence of alcohol, the acid- 
ity of the gastric juice, the quantity of hydro- 
chloric acid, as well as the digestive power of the 
gastric juice are diminished. 

"2. This enfeebling of the digestion is espe- 
cially pronounced in persons unaccustomed to 
the use of alcohol. 

"3. With increase of concentration (the quan- 
tity of alcohol remaining the same) of the alco- 
holic beverage, the digestive power of the gas- 
tric juice still further diminishes. 

"4. From the fourth hour of the digestion, 
the digestive power of the gastric juice increases 
notably. The acidity of the gastric juice and the 
quantity of hydrochloric acid are doubled. 

"5. Under the influence of alcohol, the secre- 
tion of gastric juice is more abundant and con- 
tinues longer than ordinarily. 

' ' 6. The movements of the stomach are equally 
diminished, and especially so the greater the 
concentration of alcohol." 

Dr. Figg, of Edinburg, made the following ex- 
periments, to test the effect of alcohol upon di- 
gestion. He fed two dogs equal quantities of 
roast mutton. He then administered to one dog, 
by passing a tube into the stomach, an ounce 
and a quarter of alcohol. After five hours, both 
dogs were killed and examined. The one which 



I98 THE HOUSEHOLD 

had taken no alcohol was found to have di- 
gested his meal entirely, whereas digestion had 
scarcely begun in the animal to which alcohol 
had been administered. 

Disorders Induced by Wine-Tasting. — Ac- 
cording to a German medical journal, Drs. Don- 
net and Marandon, who have made exhaustive 
studies of the diseases of wine-tasters, find that 
the latter frequently suffer from disturbances 
similar to alcoholism, although the claret-tasters 
do not swallow the wine, but on the contrary, 
reject it, and even rinse their mouths afterward. 
In one case of Dr. Donnet's, a man thirty-two 
years old used to taste, every day, thirty or 
forty samples of wine, occasionally liquors and 
rum, without ever swallowing any part of them. 
After two years he became very excitable, lost 
his appetite, did not sleep well, and suffered 
with disturbance of sensibility, pains in the 
breast, a feeling of weakness, difficulty in breath- 
ing. He improved after abandoning his profes- 
sion, although a nervous debility still remained, 
noticeable by the facility with which he was 
set in tears. 

Another statement made by Dr. Donnet, is 
that there are a great number of apoplexies in 
Bordeaux, where many persons drink one and a 
half litres of wine with each meal. This num- 
ber exceeds the number of apoplexies in any other 
city of the world. Dr. Marandon did not no- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 1 99 

tice any symptoms of intoxication in Burgundy 
tasters, although some of them would swallow 
the samples. He remarks that tea-tasters al- 
ways swallow some tea, and this, he says, ex- 
plains the nervous symptoms they are affected 
with. 

Wine-tasters must certainly be considered as 
moderate drinkers, although they swallow very 
little of the wine ; and hence the study of the 
physical condition of wine-tasters evidently has 
a very important bearing upon the question of 
moderate drinking. The accumulation of evi- 
dence against the use of alcoholic liquors, either 
moderately or immoderately, has become so 
great that it would seem that no ground what- 
ever is left for those who still attempt to main- 
tain their use upon scientific principles. 

Killed by Bitters. — A small boy, the son of 
a saloon-keeper of Detroit, was recently killed 
by a dose of " Dr. Harter's Wild Cherry Bitters." 
These bitters, like other nostrums of the same 
sort, are chiefly composed of alcohol flavored 
with some bitter substance. The saloon-keeper 
kept the bitters in stock, presumably for the 
benefit of those of his customers who consider 
it less sinful to swallow bad whisky flavored with 
bitters than to take their whisky straight. He 
took a bottle home, and deposited it in the 
family cupboard, without a stopper. The little 
boy helped himself to a drink from the bottle, 



200 THE HOUSEHOLD 

and as the result, he shortly afterward was found 
by a physician dead drunk, and died in con- 
A'ulsions a few hours later. 

A Hint to Smokers. — A celebrated Euro- 
pean specialist has recently called attention to 
the fact that consumption is becoming exceed- 
ingly prevalent among cigar smokers. The 
reason for this is evident. The fact that per- 
sons of feeble or diseased constitution are fre- 
quently employed in the manufacture of ci- 
gars, coupled with the enforced confinement 
in a close and foul atmosphere, renders this 
class of laborers especially liable to consump- 
tion. It is not an uncommon thing to see two 
•or three loud consumptives in a single cigar 
factory. Of course the mouth and lips are con- 
stantly soiled with the expectorated matter, and 
when the cigar-maker puts on the finishing touch 
to the cigar, by moistening it with his lips, he 
infects it, and the man who smokes the cigar 
thereby becomes vaccinated with the disease. 
It might, perhaps, not be a matter to be so 
greatly regretted that the race of cigar-smokers 
should be killed off, although it must be ad- 
mitted that, through ignorance, many excellent 
men are addicted to the practice ; but the non- 
users of cigars are interested in this matter al- 
most as much as those who smoke, for the rea- 
son that the person suffering from consumption 
will be a source of infection to others. We 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 201 

have, in more than one instance, been able to 
trace consumption in a wife to the care of a 
consumptive husband, and thus the smoking hus- 
band might easily infect an innocent and unof- 
fending wife, from whom the disease might in 
turn be communicated to innocent children. 
Cigar-smoking must be regarded as one of the 
most dangerous, as well as one of the most 
loathsome, practices tolerated among civilized 
people. 

Intoxication from the Use of Tea. — A 
scientific physician of our acquaintance recently 
related to us the circumstances of an epidemic 
of tea-drunkenness, which came to his attention 
a number of years ago. At that time he had 
medical charge of the employees of a large man- 
ufacturing establishment in which forty or fifty 
young women were employed. It was observed 
by the managers that the young women were 
growing thin and haggard, and after a while they 
began to drop out from their work, sometimes 
several at a time, and were likely at any time 
to be seized with strange nervous symptoms, usu- 
ally hysterical in character, sometimes amount- 
ing to insanity. An investigation of the matter 
showed that these young women had acquired 
the habit of tea-chewing while engaged in their 
work. The practice had become almost uni- 
versal among them, and the evil effects were as 
universal as the practice. A number of cases of 



202 THE HOUSEHOLD 

acute mania occurred among the young women 
before the practice was checked, which was only 
accomplished by stationing detectives at the door 
of the factory, and searching each person who 
entered. Quantities of the intoxicating drug 
were frequently thus found concealed. Another 
physician recently mentioned a case of genuine 
delirium tremens resulting from the use of tea, 
which came under his observation nearly fifty 
years ago. The patient gave all the charac- 
teristic symptoms, seeing all sorts of animal 
forms, and other shapes which are described 
by the victim of mania a potu. 



SIMPLE REMEDIES 

For Common Diseases. 



Many of the cases of illness which are con- 
stantly occurring in nearly every family, are of 
such character that they can as well be treated 
by an intelligent, well-informed mother, as by 
a physician. Important cases demand medical 
advice, but every parent ought to be sufficiently 
well informed to be able to attend promptly and 
efficiently to the great majority of the ailments 
to which all families are liable. Such informa- 
tion as is given in this work, will also enable a 
mother to render efficient aid to the physician in 
cases of grave illness, in which as much often de- 
pends upon good nursing as upon medical advice. 

If children are properly clothed and fed, al- 
lowed plenty of exercise, fresh air, and sleep, 
they will be seldom ill. The same is equally 
true of grown people. Accidents, exposures, and 
indiscretions will occur, however, resulting in 
various ailments. If the simple directions given 
for treating some of the more common ailments, 
are carefully followed, much trouble, expense, 
and suffering may be avoided. Few drugs are 
recommended for internal use, because the cases 



204 THE HOUSEHOLD 

in which they are really needed are such as re- 
quire the personal attention of a physician. 

Hygienic Agencies. — Nature has not pro- 
vided agents by the use of which the penalty of 
transgression of her laws may be evaded ; but 
there are certain natural agents, the proper em- 
ployment of which will preserve health. If a 
person becomes diseased by neglecting to thus 
use these health-promoting agents, the only 
proper, and the most efficient, way in which to 
recover from disease is to begin at once to do 
that which has been neglected. Thus it is that 
those agencies which are promotive of health and 
life become remedies for disease. 

As might be supposed from the foregoing, the 
most potent remedies must be those agents 
which are the most essential to the maintenance 
of life and health. Among these, the following 
are the chief : A ir, water, food, clothing, exer- 
cise, rest, cheerfulness, sunlight, mid electricity. 

Air. — Pure air is the first and the last desid- 
eratum of human life. Individual life begins 
with the first breath, and ends with the last act 
of respiration. A human being lives largely in 
proportion as he breathes. Frogs and lizards 
are sluggish because they breathe little. Birds 
are more vigorous in their movements because 
of the wondrous capacity and activity of their 
lungs. So with human beings. Need we sug- 
gest that those feeble-minded creatures who em- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 205 

ulate each other in compression of the waist — 
thus curtailing their breathing power — are like 
frogs and lizards in their capacity for appreciat- 
ing the ' ' joy of living " ? or that their organs of 
cerebration may be as small as their waists ? 
Has a man consumption ? Let him live in the 
open air ; he cannot breathe too much. Thou- 
sands of patients die in hospitals for want of 
fresh air. God's oxygen is the best tonic known. 
Fill the sick-room with it ; the patient's chances 
for recovery will be thereby increased fourfold. 
Its disinfectant and deodorizing properties are 
unsurpassed. All it requires is unrestrained ac- 
tion. 

Water. — This limpid fluid constitutes three 
fourths of the whole weight of the human body. 
The brain, the organ of thought, contains a still 
larger proportion. Its value as a curative agent 
is in direct ratio to its importance in the struct- 
ure of the body. Water is valuable, (i.) To 
dilute the blood, being the only drink; (2.) To 
cleanse the body from impurities within and 
without ; (3.) As the most efficient means of 
applying heat and cold in the various forms 
of baths. Nothing relieves thirst like water. 
Nothing will regulate the temperature of a 
fever patient so effectually as water applied in 
the form of a cool pack. In relieving the coma 
of narcotic poisoning, apoplexy, sun-stroke, and 
lightning stroke, cold affusion is more potent 



206 THE HOUSEHOLD 

than all other remedies combined. No salve, 
liniment, plaster, ointment, or medicated lotion 
is equal to pure soft water as a dressing for 
wounds. Water — hot, warm, tepid, cool, cold, 
or iced— is useful at the appropriate time. 

Food. — "As a man eateth, so is he." A loaf 
of bread, eaten, digested, assimilated, becomes 
flesh. A pound of pork, put through the same 
process, also becomes flesh. The first becomes 
pure, healthy flesh ; the second becomes gross, 
diseased flesh. Lord Byron appreciated this 
fact when he declared that he ' ' felt himself 
grow savage " whenever he partook largely of 
animal food. If a man has filled himself with 
grossness, so that his liver is clogged, his stom- 
ach and bowels torpid, all his vitals congested, 
and his life-current sluggish, the best and only 
remedy is to " mend his ways " at once, and 
adopt the diet which nature indicates is best. 
In this way thousands of wretched dyspeptics 
and hypochondriacs have sought and found their 
squandered health. 

Clothing. — The absurdities of fashionable 
dress are too glaring to require exposure. All 
admit the need of reform, but few have moral 
courage to break Dame Fashion's shackles. To 
the pinioned, corseted, panniered, fettered, drag- 
ged-down, tied-back, gasping, dying daughter of 
Fashion, who would scarcely be conscious of liv- 
ing except for the aches, pains, nerves, neural- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 207 

gias, stifled sighs, palpitations, and hysterics 
which make up her wretched existence, what 
an emancipation is offered in a dress which 
clothes the body equably from head to toe, 
gives perfect liberty of action to every muscle, 
allows room for a deep inspiration and a vigor- 
ous heart-beat, removes from the hips those 
cumbrous, dragging weights, and unties the 
lower extremities ! 

Exercise. — Life is activity ; stagnation is 
death. This is true everywhere. It is this 
alone that makes the difference between the 
sparkling brook and the slimy pool, the bloom- 
ing flower and the withered shrub, the laborer's 
brawny arm and the student's flaccid muscle. 
Few men die of excessive brain-work ; many 
die from lack of muscle-work. Proper exercise 
is a powerful remedial agent. 

Rest. — During sleep is the time when Nature 
converts her workshop into a repair-shop, mend- 
ing broken nerve fibers, replenishing wasted 
muscles, repairing tissue cells, and renovating 
worn-out particles. When the body is wasted 
by disease, how much of this work there is to 
be done ! and how important that sleep be 
afforded as a prerequisite for its accomplish- 
ment ! 

Cheerfulness. — '•' Laugh and grow fat" is an 
old adage. Laugh and get well would be just 
as true. Indeed, the remedial power of a hearty 



208 THE HOUSEHOLD 

laugh is sometimes greater than that of any drug 
in the materia medica ; and its salutary effects 
have often saved the life of a failing patient. 
' ' A merry heart doeth good like a medicine " is 
good Bible hygiene. 

Sunlight. — Sunshine paints the skies, colors 
the leaves, and tints the flowers. Under its 
genial influence all nature thrives. It surpasses 
all other agents in restoring a natural color to 
the blanched and ghostlike faces of long-housed 
invalids. Sun-baths are powerful remedies for 
disease, if rightly used. 

Electricity. — This subtle agent, which flashes 
in the thunder cloud and quivers in a drop of 
dew, is equally potent for good or evil. When 
rightly used, its curative value is immense ; but 
it has fallen, unfortunately, almost entirely into 
the hands of quacks, who not only do much in- 
jury by injudicious applications, but bring disre- 
pute upon it by claiming for it that which is 
palpably absurd, as that it is the ' ' nervous 
fluid, " ' ' vital force, " ' ' life force, " etc. 

Colds. — Tommy, or Mary, or baby, or some 
other member of the family, has ' ' caught a hard 
cold ; " what shall we do ? Do nothing, and let 
it wear off ? — No ; perhaps the patient will get 
well ; maybe the cold will become something 
worse. 

Shall we "give ginger tea, red pepper, brandy 
sling, onion sirup, honey and lard, fat pork, 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 209 

castor-oil, licorice, hoarhound, molasses candy,, 
boneset, catnip, mullen tea, or pennyroyal ? or 
shall we apply a mustard plaster to the chest, 
a blister to the bottom of each foot, and fat 
pork with salt and pepper to the throat ? Do 
no such thing. Such trash put into the stom- 
ach, with such irritating applications outside, 
would make a well person sick. Do this : — 

In the first place, prevent the cold, if possible, 
by beginning in season. Perhaps the feet have 
been wet, and are damp and cold. Pull off the 
shoes or boots and stockings, and put the feet 
into a pail of water as hot as can well be borne, 
after first wetting the head with cool water. 
After fifteen minutes' soaking, pour a little cold 
water into the pail. Allow the feet to remain 
two or three minutes longer, then take out, wipe 
dry every part, between the toes and around the 
ankles, and then rub them until they glow with 
warmth. Put on dry, warm stockings, and send 
the patient to bed for an hour, or for all night if 
it is evening. Instead of waking up in the morn- 
ing with a headache, a sore throat, and a voice. 
like a cracked fiddle, he will be quite well. 

If a person has really got a cold, and is sneez- 
ing, and wheezing, and coughing, and expectorat- 
ing, more thorough measures must be taken : — 

i. Eat little or nothing for a day or two. 
The popular adage, ' ' Stuff a cold and starve a 
fever," is without foundation. A cold is a fever 



2IO THE HOUSEHOLD 

— a heat, really, rather than a cold, if tempera- 
ture be considered. 

2. Rest. Sleep all that is possible. No time 
is lost in such a course. Timely rest may save 
serious illness. 

3. Take some kind of hot bath, which will 
start the perspiration freely. Long sweating is 
debilitating ; only start the action of the skin. 
The foot-bath combined with the sitz-bath, the 
wet-sheet pack, the vapor-bath, and the hot-air 
bath are alike suitable. These are severally de- 
scribed in this work. After the bath, go to bed. 

Drink freely of water, the purer the better. 

A day or two of such treatment will usually 
* ' break " the hardest cold, saving the patient 
several weeks of pain and annoyance, if not 
chronic disease. Try it. The trouble is less 
than you think, and the results are splendid. 

Frequent bathing in tepid water makes a per- 
son less liable to colds. 

Sore Throat. — There are many remedies for 
sore throat, some of which are harmless, being 
simply worthless, — like goose-oil applied exter- 
nally, — while others are quite injurious. The 
remedy used by the Germans and many sensi- 
ble Americans, is the best, — hot water. It 
should be applied outside and inside ; outside 
by means of flannels wrung out of water as hot 
as can be borne, applied to the throat and well 
covered, twice a day, for fifteen minutes or half 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 211 

an hour. Gargle hot water, as hot as can be 
borne, every fifteen minutes or half hour until 
relieved. Drink plenty of hot water, so as to 
get into a profuse perspiration. If there is fever, 
cool the skin with sponge-baths. Keep the feet 
warm. If there are symptoms of diphtheria, 
apply ice in a bag to the outside of the neck, 
and give the patient little pieces of ice to swal- 
low. Lemon juice applied to the pharynx with 
a swab is sometimes a good remedy. A few 
hours of this treatment will effect a cure in 
simple cases. 

Sneezing. — When suddenly seized with a de- 
sire to sneeze, place the finger upon the upper 
lip and press hard. Rubbing the nose vigor- 
ously will also suppress the paroxysm when it 
is desirable to do so. When the affection is 
caused by disease of the nasal cavity, it will not 
be so easily controlled. The inhalation of steam, 
and the warm or cold nasal douche, or gently 
drawing water into the nose, will frequently 
give material relief. 

Hoarseness. — All the sirups, expectorants, 
cough mixtures, anodynes, and inhalations ever 
invented or advertised will not cure hoarseness. 
They may sometimes destroy the sensibility of 
the nerves of the diseased part, and so relieve 
the cough, but they cannot remove the disease. 
Honey, loaf-sugar, and all such articles are very 
deceptive remedies. Cough lozenges and candy, 



212 THE HOUSEHOLD 

troches, etc., are equally useless. They do not 
come in contact with the diseased surfaces, as 
many suppose. They pass directly down into 
the stomach, where they occasion much disturb- 
ance, disordering digestion, and so producing a 
disease really worse than the one they were in- 
tended to cure. 

If the disease has not become chronic, it may 
usually be relieved by bathing the throat and 
neck in cool water, applying heat and cold alter- 
nately, and wearing a wet bandage around the 
neck at night. If the difficulty is of long stand- 
ing, a physician's care is needed. 

Cough. — Coughing, like vomiting, should be 
encouraged rather than restrained when there is 
anything which needs expulsion in that manner. 
Many consumptives have been suffocated by the 
sudden stopping of a cough which was merely 
an effort of nature to get rid of foul matter in 
the lungs. If there is no cause for the cough 
but irritation in the throat, it may be cured, in 
most cases, by the application of the wet ban- 
dage. Wear night and day, and change fre- 
quently. If the cough seems to have no suffi- 
cient cause, it may be concluded that it is of 
a purely nervous character. The force of will 
power is the best remedy. Resolve not to cough ; 
engage the attention with something else, and 
forget it. Not a few cases of chronic cough are 
simply the result of habit. The eminent Dr. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 213 

Brown-Sequard once made the following sug- 
gestions about how to stop a cough : ' ' Cough- 
ing can be stopped by pressing on the nerves 
of the lips in the neighborhood of the nose. A 
pressure there may prevent a cough when it is 
beginning. Sneezing may be stopped by the 
same mechanism. Pressing also in the neigh- 
borhood of the ear may stop coughing. Press- 
ing very hard on the top of the mouth, inside, 
is also a means of stopping coughing. And, I 
may say, the will has immense power, too. 
There was a French surgeon who used to say 
whenever he entered the wards of the hospital, 
' The first patient who coughs will be deprived 
of food to-day.' It was exceedingly rare that a 
patient coughed then." 

Continuous coughing will produce irritation of 
itself. Frequent sips of cold water, and gargling 
cold water or a mixture of water and lemon 
juice, will often relieve a cough when it is due 
to irritation of the upper part of the windpipe. 
Wearing the wet bandage about the throat is an 
excellent remedy. 

Hiccough. — This troublesome affection is usu- 
ally caused by a disordered stomach. Get the 
stomach in good condition, and it will disappear. 
A few sips of cold water will often relieve it. 
Perhaps the best remedy is holding the breath 
and fixing the attention intently upon some ob- 
ject. Another specific is to moisten granulated 



214 THE HOUSEHOLD 

sugar with good vinegar, and take from a few 
grains to a teaspoonful. The effect is almost 
instantaneous, and the dose seldom needs to be 
repeated. It can be used for all ages — from in- 
fants of a few months old to those on the down- 
hill side of life. 

Croup. — If the child can speak aloud, the dis- 
ease is of the spasmodic variety, and he will 
probably recover with a little attention ; but if 
he can only whisper, and the disease has come 
on somewhat gradually, it is a much more seri- 
ous variety, — true croup, — and a physician should 
be called at once. 

Apply, alternately, hot and cold cloths to the 
throat and neck for a half hour, then cold con- 
tinuously for half an hour ; then foment again. 
Give a hot bath, and keep the limbs and extremi- 
ties warm. Give no emetics, expectorants, stim- 
ulants, nor anodynes ; all are harmful. Goose- 
oil on the outside does no more good than ipecac 
inside. Give the child an abundance of fresh 
air. If the case is one of true croup, the inhala- 
tion of steam is one of the best remedies. 

Pneumonia, or Lung Fever. — The greatest 
immediate danger in this disease is the depress- 
ing influence of the excessive heat upon the 
heart ; hence m this, as in most other acute 
diseases characterized by high fever, the most 
important measures of treatment are those which 
will reduce the fever. Of these, the cool bath, 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 21 5 

the graduated bath, the sponge bath, the wet- 
sheet pack, and the cold enema are the most 
effective. Cool compresses alternated at in- 
tervals of two or three hours by hot fomenta- 
tions for five or ten minutes, should be applied 
to the chest, particularly to the affected side, 
the seat of pain. The hot fomentations relieve 
the pain, and the cold compresses check the dis- 
eased process. The compresses should be wrung 
out of cold water and changed every five to 
eight minutes, or as often as they become 
warm. Care should be taken to keep the pa- 
tient's body from being wet except where the 
treatment is applied. 

When much chilliness is produced by the con- 
tact of water with the skin, the Cold enema is a 
most admirably useful measure in controlling high 
temperature. The amount of water required is 
half a pint to a pint. The temperature may be 
forty to sixty degrees. Next in importance to 
the use of water in this disease, is the employ- 
ment of fresh air. The apartment should be kept 
as cool as possible without discomfort. Abund- 
ance of fresh air should be continually supplied. 

The diet of the patient should consist of milk, 
oatmeal gruel, ripe fruit, and similar easily di- 
gested food. No meat, eggs, or other stimulat- 
ing food should be allowed. 

La Grippe. — This disease is usually ushered 
in by a sensation of chilliness, and is followed 



2l6 THE HOUSEHOLD 

by a fever, accompanied by severe headache and 
pain and soreness in all parts of the body. The 
patient says that his back aches, his bones ache, 
his head aches, and he is generally wretched. 
The distress for twenty-four hours is generally 
very considerable. Sometimes the seat of pain 
is in the lungs, and occasionally pneumonia and 
pleurisy is a complication when it occurs in a 
severe form. In the great majority of cases, 
however, the affection of the lungs assumes no 
graver form than a slight sore throat or bron- 
chitis. 

At the outset of the disease, give the patient 
a hot blanket-pack, which is administered by 
wrapping closely in a woolen blanket wrung out 
of water as hot as can be borne. Allow the 
patient to sweat for an hour. This will lower 
the fever and afford relief from the severe sore- 
ness and pain in the bones. The pack may be 
repeated two or three times a day for the first 
day or two, if necessary. The patient should 
drink large quantities of hot water, at least one 
glass every hour. Fomentations or compresses 
should be applied to the chest, if there is a 
cough or bronchial irritation. The inhalation 
of steam by means of a steam-inhaler, is an 
excellent means of relieving the cough which 
sometimes accompanies this disease. The severe 
headache is generally relieved by a cold com- 
press, sponging of the head with hot water, or 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 217 

an application of hot fomentations to the upper 
part of the spine. The bowels should be opened 
by hot enema once or twice a day. If neces- 
sary, a mild laxative of some sort should be 
used, as the fluid extract of cascara, ten or 
fifteen drops at night and before breakfast. If 
the headache is not relieved by other means, 
ten or fifteen grains of bromide of potash may 
be administered once in three or four hours, in 
a quarter of a glassful of water. If medicines 
are to be administered, it is better to employ 
a competent physician than to undertake self- 
medication. 

Acidity of the Stomach. — This condition is 
due to germs, and the cure lies in getting rid of 
the germs. Germs of fermentation in the stom- 
ach produce first alcohol, then carbonic acid, 
and then acetic acid. A person troubled with 
this form of dyspepsia should be careful to take 
only such articles of food as do not favor the 
development of germs, and thus starve them 
out. The worst articles are all fat foods, and 
sugar and all forms of sweets, including ice-cream 
and cake. Boiled milk and unfermented breads 
are excellent foods to take. Another thing to 
do is to wash the germs out of the stomach by 
drinking freely of hot water an hour before 
meals. If food is put into a stomach already 
sour, of course fermentation will be set up im- 
mediately. It is like straining new milk into 



2l8 THE HOUSEHOLD 

unwashed pans from which sour milk has been 
emptied. Some persons notice that just as soon 
as they eat, their stomach becomes sour. The 
third important thing to do is to stimulate the 
stomach to make more gastric juice, which is 
a natural antiseptic, and prevents fermentation 
and also hastens absorption. The glands may 
be stimulated by applying hot fomentations to 
the stomach for half an hour immediately after 
the close of a meal, or, easier still, by wearing 
a rubber bag filled with hot water, directly over 
the stomach for half an hour or an hour. Heat 
is a natural stimulant, and there are no possible 
ill effects from its use in this way. 

It is a very easy and quite common practice to 
correct the acidity by neutralizing it with an al- 
kali — a little soda, for example; but the ob- 
ject is to cure the patient, and the patient is 
the stomach in this case. Sweet things are 
particularly likely to produce a sour stomach, 
while acid things, with the exception of pickles, 
have a tendency to sweeten it, popular belief to 
the contrary. Some will say that they are ob- 
liged to eat a great deal of sugar with acid fruits, 
in order to keep the stomach from souring ; but 
the addition of sugar does not neutralize the acid. 
Chemists prove that from a chemical standpoint, 
sugar is as much an acid as is fruit. An acid is 
any substance which will combine with an al- 
kali. Sugar will combine with lime, and make 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 2IQ 

saccharate of lime. In making biscuit, the 
house-wife does not combine acid sour milk 
with vinegar, but uses soda. Sugar added to 
acid fruit disguises the acid from the palate, but 
not from the stomach. No food hard to digest 
should be eaten by one troubled with acid dys- 
pepsia. If so, it remains in the stomach a long 
time, until that organ is worn out, and gastric 
juice being deficient, the microbes which are 
present go actively to work, and set up a fer- 
ment. Too much of even the best food should 
be avoided. The stomach may make gastric 
juice enough for a moderate quantity, but not 
for a large quantity. 

Ulcerated Stomach. — In ulceration of the 
stomach, there is usually great pain felt when 
pressing over some particular part of the region 
of the stomach, an occasional vomiting of blood, 
pain on swallowing hot or cold, sweet or acid 
foods and liquids. These are some of the most 
characteristic symptoms. The food for such a 
person should be plain. Animal foods, fats, 
sweets, and all coarse foods should be avoided. 
The diet should consist of milk, gruels, and 
similar foods. In some cases, it is necessary 
that the patient should abstain altogether from 
eating, for a few days or even two or three 
weeks, the system being nourished in the mean- 
time by injection into the bowels of digested 
foods. 



220 THE HOUSEHOLD 

Catarrh of the Stomach. — The symptoms 
of catarrh of the stomach are the presence of 
mucus, a heaviness or a feeling as if there was 
a load on the stomach. The stomach is often 
much distended, and is found on examination 
to occupy a much larger area than is natural. 
Sometimes the disease has so progressed that 
the stomach is little more than a loose pouch, 
and food is acted upon in it about as much as 
it would be were it put in the patient's pocket. 
In this disease a small quantity of food produces 
a large quantity of gas, and thus stretches and 
stretches the stomach. We may consider the 
stomach in very much the same condition as is 
the nose in a bad case of nasal catarrh. The 
introduction of food into the stomach is like 
taking a fresh cold in the nose, and the only 
thing to do is to stop eating and give the stom- 
ach a rest. Sometimes it is necessary to wash 
the stomach out by means of tubes of soft rub- 
ber, which are made to act as siphons— with a 
fountain higher than the mouth ; and after rins- 
ing it thoroughly with water, use a disinfectant 
solution just as in nasal catarrh. There are 
some cases in which the stomach has become 
so enormously large that a perfect recovery can- 
not be made. The best mode of treatment is to 
fast for a few days, and then begin on one meal 
a day, so as to give the stomach a long time to 
recover from the ill effects which follow eating. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 22 1 

The linings of the stomach are covered with a 
tough, tenacious slime, and so digestion is largely 
prevented. Nutritive enemas are valuable, and 
it is a good plan to wash out the stomach with 
hot water. Milk and farinaceous foods are the 
best, though many are unable to take fluids on 
account of slow absorption. -For such, dry food 
is better. 

, Canker. — The small white ulcers which some- 
times occur in the mouths of both children and 
adults are commonly known by this name, which 
really belongs to a much more serious affection. 
They indicate derangement of the stomach. The 
proper remedies are improvement of the diges- 
tion, washing the mouth frequently with cold 
water, and touching the cankers with nitric acid, 
lunar caustic, or some other caustic application. 
Various astringent washes are used with some 
benefit. 

Eules for Dyspeptics. — A few years ago we 
formulated a few rules for dyspeptics, which we 
give below, publishing the same in our little work, 
' ' Digestion and Dyspepsia. " Subsequently we 
printed the same in our journal, Good Health. 
A short time after they came back to us as an 
editorial in a popular magazine, published in 
London, and edited by an eminent physician, a 
member of the Royal Society. We feel highly 
complimented that our English friend is willing 
to give so hearty an indorsement of our views 



222 THE HOUSEHOLD 

on this subject as to be willing to have them 
appear as his own. The following are the 
rules : — 

i. Eat slowly, masticating the food very thor- 
oughly, even more so, if possible, than is re- 
quired in health. The more time the food 
spends in the mouth, the less it will spend in 
the stomach. 

2. Avoid drinking at meals ; at most, take a 
few sips of warm drink at the close of the meal, 
if the food is very dry in character. 

3- In general, dyspeptic stomachs manage dry 
food better than that containing much fluid. 

4- Eat neither very hot nor very cold food. 
The best temperature is about that of the body. 
Avoid exposure to cold after eating. 

5. Be careful to avoid excess in eating. Eat 
no more than the wants of the system require. 
Sometimes less than is really needed must be 
taken when the digestion is very weak. Strength 
depends not on what is eaten, but on what is di- 
gested. 

6. Never take violent exercise of any sort, 
either mental or physical, just before or just 
after a meal. It is not good to sleep immedi- 
ately after eating, nor within four hours of a 
meal. 

7. Never eat more than three times a day ; 
and make the last meal very light. For many 
dyspeptics, two meals are better than more. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 22 3 

8. Never eat a morsel of any sort between 
meals. 

9. Never eat when very tired, whether ex- 
hausted from mental or physical labor. 

10. Never eat when the mind is worried or 
the temper ruffled, if possible to avoid doing so. 

1 1 . Eat only food that is easy of digestion, 
avoiding complicated and indigestible dishes, and 
taking but from one to three kinds at a meal. 

12. Most persons will be benefited by the 
use of oatmeal, wheat meal, or graham flour, 
cracked wheat, and other whole-grain prepara- 
tions, though many will find it necessary to avoid 
vegetables, especially when fruits are taken. 

Diet in Painful Dyspepsia. — Respecting 
the diet of persons suffering from painful dys- 
pepsia, in which there is usually an excess of 
acidity in the gastric juice, the prescription 
must be very minute. The patient will avoid 
tea, coffee, and alcohol ; also all meats and 
all substances which excite the gastric juice, as 
condiments, game, etc. Vegetables rich in cel- 
lulose are harmful, because they are badly di- 
gested in the stomach, which contains an excess 
of acids. They accumulate and dilate it. On 
this account, dilatation of the stomach is very 
frequent in persons suffering from an excess of 
acidity in the gastric juice. Lyon recognized 
that fat substances and fresh bread are badly 
digested, and such a patient should be per- 



2 24 THE HOUSEHOLD 

mitted to eat only well-toasted bread, in which 
the starch is in part transformed to dextrin. In 
all cases, it is necessary to avoid table drinks, 
which contribute to dilatation of the stomach. 
A milk regimen is indicated in the treatment of 
this malady when there is much pain or symp- 
toms of ulceration. It is not necessary, how- 
ever, to continue a milk diet exclusively during 
a long time. A glass of milk taken during a 
crisis of pain occurring in the night, often pro- 
duces good results. The food should be finely 
divided and thoroughly masticated. Eggs may 
be freely used. A patient suffering from this 
disease should eat but twice a day, and eight 
hours should intervene between the hours of 
eating. 

Constipation. — Torpidity of the large intes- 
tine is a condition very common among seden- 
tary people, especially women. It is the result, 
in part, of eating fine-flour bread and irritating 
condiments. One of the greatest causes — the 
chief, perhaps — is neglect to attend promptly to 
the calls of nature. When the feces are retained 
in the rectum, they become hard and dry through 
the absorption of their fluid portion. Thus a 
considerable part of this foul matter is taken 
into the system, permeating every fluid and 
tainting every tissue. The dry, hard residue 
becomes packed in the intestine, and makes 
defecation difficult, and is productive of several 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 225 

serious diseases of the bowels and other ab- 
dominal organs. 

Nothing could be more injurious than the use 
of purgatives as remedies of this difficulty. No 
matter under what form or name they are taken, 
they always aggravate the disease in the end, 
though they seem to give temporary relief. Be- 
sides, these ' ' aperients, " ' ' laxatives, " ' ' purgative 
pellets, " and ' ' cathartics " are the most potent 
causes of dyspepsia. To cure the difficulty, do 
this :— 

i. Exercise plentifully and regularly in the 
open air. 

2. Eat no bolted flour. Instead, eat wheat 
meal or graham flour, oatmeal, rye, barley, 
crushed wheat, etc. Eat plenty of fruit, spar- 
ingly of milk, sugar, and condiments. Discard 
hot drinks at meals. Knead and percuss the 
abdomen gently for half an hour each day, or 
five minutes at a time, and several times a day. 
By regularity in habits, accustom the bowels to 
move at a certain hour each day. Secure an ac- 
tion of the bowels at least once each day, if pos- 
sible, but do not resort to the continued use of 
the enema to effect it. Drink a glass of cold 
water half an hour before breakfast, if it does 
not disagree with the stomach. 

Bleeding Piles. — Piles, or hemorrhoids, is a 
disease in which the veins of the rectum, through 
obstruction of the portal circulation, have be- 



226 THE HOUSEHOLD 

come varicose. The tumors, or hard bunches, 
which protrude from the rectum are dilated 
veins, the distended walls of which frequently 
became so thin as to rupture, thus causing hem- 
orrhage. This may vary in degree from a small 
streak of blood upon the passage to so great a 
quantity as to endanger the patient's life. A 
cure consists in removing the cause, which may 
be a congested liver or habitual constipation of 
the bowels ; and in most cases, removal of the 
hemorrhoidal tumors by some one of the various 
approved methods is necessary. Sufferers from 
this disease will find great mitigation from their 
inconveniences by the adoption of a few simple 
measures of treatment which, though not cura- 
tive, sometimes afford so great a measure of re- 
lief as to render the patient unwilling to submit 
to any severer methods for the purpose of effec- 
ting a radical cure. When the movement of 
the bowels is accompanied by very great pain, 
the patient should sit over a vessel filled with 
very hot water. When there is much bleeding, 
the use of a decoction of hamamelis, or witch- 
hazel, made by adding one ounce of the fluid 
extract to a pint of water, is beneficial. 

Indigestion. — Proper food, eaten in proper 
quantity and at the proper time, ought to be 
properly digested. In rare cases only, it may 
not be. When it is discovered that an article 
of food is really injurious to digestion, discard 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 227 

it at once. Eat few kinds at a meal. Avoid 
eating fruits and vegetables together. Do not 
drink at meals. Eat slowly. Eat mostly dry 
food. Do not sleep soon after eating. If the 
stomach is slow in its action, hot fomentations 
and gentle kneading soon after eating will pro- 
mote digestion. Salt and other condiments are 
often the cause of indigestion. 

Sometimes oatmeal gruel, eaten with dry 
crackers, will be retained and digested when 
nothing else will be. Other cases will not tol- 
erate any kind of farinaceous food. 

A young infant which is for any reason de- 
prived of its natural food, and rejects everything 
else, will thrive upon a mixture of raw white of 
egg in water — the white of one egg to a half pint 
of tepid water. The water should not be hot 
enough to coagulate the egg. Thoroughly mix, 
and feed with a spoon. 

Palpitation of the Heart. — This now com- 
mon affection is in most cases due to indigestion, 
but not infrequently results from some disease of 
the heart or of the nerve-centers controlling it. 
When it results from indigestion, relief will be 
found by removal of the offending matters from 
the stomach. This may be best accomplished 
by copious draughts of hot water, the effects of 
which will be to either cause the stomach to con- 
tract, forcing its contents into the lesser portion 
of the alimentary canal, or to cause vomiting. 



228 THE HOUSEHOLD 

In cases of palpitation in which the difficulty 
is not dependent upon disordered digestion, and 
even in many cases of the latter class, the irreg- 
ular action of the heart may be readily corrected 
by the application of cold over that region of the 
trunk. The application may be made in a va- 
riety of ways. A sponge dipped in cold water 
and applied to the chest is a very convenient 
means, but for continuous application a rubber 
bag rilled with ice is more serviceable. It is 
important that the application should be made 
at the right point. To locate the heart, find 
the apex beat, which can usually be felt about 
two inches to the left of the sternum, just below 
the fifth rib. The application should not be 
made at this point, but from this point upward, 
covering a space about as large as the hand. 

If the patient has had rheumatism, he should 
have his heart examined by a physician. A sud- 
den attack of palpitation may often be relieved 
by warming the feet and limbs, and applying 
hot fomentations over the stomach and bowels. 

Heart-Burn. — This unpleasant affection has 
nothing to do with the heart. It is the result of 
fermentation of the food, which produces irritat- 
ing acids. These are thrown up into the mouth, 
producing a burning sensation. A few sips of 
hot or cold water will commonly give relief. 

Sometimes a warm-water emetic is required. 
Soda and magnesia, which are so often used, are 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 229 

productive of a vast amount of mischief. They 
never cure, but increase the real disease, and 
sometimes cause fatal injury to the stomach 
and intestines. A teaspoonful of wheat char- 
coal, taken immediately after a meal, is an 
excellent non-medicinal remedy for this uncom- 
fortable derangement of digestion. 

Headache may be caused either by an excess 
or a deficiency of blood in the brain. It is quite 
probable that headache is as frequently the re- 
sult of a diminished blood supply as of an excess 
of blood. Headache due to excess of blood is 
usually accompanied by throbbing of the tem- 
ples, flushed face, exhilarated pulse, and other 
indications of vascular excitement. Headache 
resulting from deficiency of blood is indicated 
by pallor, uneven pulse, and general symptoms 
of anaemia. 

For relief of headache due to excess of blood 
in the brain, cold applications may be made to 
the head by means of ice bags, cloths wet with 
cold water, or the simple application of cold 
water to the head by means of a sponge or the 
hand. The hair should be well moistened, so 
that the cold water will come in contact with 
the scalp. The applications must be made con- 
tinuously, otherwise the effect of the cold will be 
to increase rather than diminish the amount of 
blood in the brain. Derivative applications may 
be made to other parts of the body, especially if 



23O THE HOUSEHOLD 

the circulation is defective in these parts, such 
as warm sitz baths or leg baths, massage to the 
legs and abdomen, or the application of the 
flesh-brush to the whole surface of the body. 

For enaemic headaches, warm applications 
should be made to the head, and the patient 
should swallow a quantity of hot water. Water 
may also be taken to advantage by enema. 
The water should be introduced into the bowels 
slowly, so that it can be retained. By the ab- 
sorption of the water taken through the mouth 
or by enema, the amount of blood is so increased 
that the blood pressure in the brain is also aug- 
mented. The simple act of sitting in warm 
water seems to increase the blood flow to the • 
brain, and often gives relief from a very distress- 
ing headache. 

Sigk and Nervous Headaches. — Very few 
people care to admit that they have sick head- 
aches, so they call everything of the sort ' ' nerv- 
ous headaches." Sick headaches have come to 
be significant of big dinners and gormandizing. 
There is this difference between the two : a 
nervous headache is always a one-sided head- 
ache ; at any rate it usually begins in one side, 
in the eye or forehead, but very frequently ex- 
tends to the other side. It is usually caused 
by weak digestion and a bad stomach. In 
sick headache there is a mass of food in the 
stomach which has set up decay and fermenta- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 23 1 

tion, and has thus caused acute catarrh of the 
stomach. In both cases, prevention is better 
than cure. For sick headache, stop overload- 
ing the stomach and eating improper food. For 
nervous headache, begin treatment as soon as 
you feel it coming on. Go to bed ; shut your- 
self up in a dark room ; drink plenty of hot 
water ; keep yourself perfectly quiet and calm, 
letting nothing come near to disturb you. In a 
little while the impending attack will pass away. 

Another Remedy for Headache. — It is 
something very curious that heat and cold may 
be used interchangeably with like effects. Ex- 
treme heat will destroy the skin ; so will ex- 
treme cold. Hot applications are stimulating 
to the circulation, and for some kinds of head- 
ache will give immediate relief. If cold appli- 
cations are more agreeable, then these are prob- 
ably what are needed. In general, a throbbing 
headache, with tenderness and soreness of the 
scalp, can best be relieved by hot applications. 
Where one is suffering with a bursting pain in 
the head, as if the brain had not room enough, 
it is best relieved by cold applications to the 
head, with heat to the spine and shoulders. 

Bad Breath. — The chief causes are catarrh, 
decayed teeth, foul teeth, disordered stomach. 
and # constipation. The remedy is to remove the 
cause. If there are foul and decaying accumu- 
lations in the nose, remove them by syringing 



232 THE HOUSEHOLD 

the nose with a weak solution of permanganate 
of potash, common salt, or tepid water. Simply 
snuffing the fluid gently into the nose is quite 
effective. The fluid should not be thrown vio- 
lently into the nose, as injury may result there- 
from. 

Decayed teeth should be either filled or drawn. 
Their presence in the mouth is not only a cause 
of offense, but is productive of disease of the 
stomach, besides being a source of impurities 
which find their way into the blood through the 
lungs. Uncleanly teeth are quite certain to de- 
cay sooner than those which are kept free from 
impurities. If the food which adheres to the 
teeth and lodges between them is allowed to 
remain, it speedily undergoes putrefaction and 
becomes very offensive. The teeth should be 
cleansed with a brush and pure water after each 
meal, and soon after rising in the morning. 
Once a day, at least, they should be thor- 
oughly brushed with fine soap and pulverized 
chalk. Artificial teeth need special attention. 
They should be daily washed with fine soap and 
a solution of carbolic acid and water, in the pro- 
portion of a teaspoonful of the acid to a pint of 
soft water. Shake well before using. Do not 
wear artificial teeth during the night. A solu- 
tion of chlorinated soda, which can be procured 
of any druggist, is a most excellent article for 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 233 

cleansing the mouth and the teeth. It should 
be used freely. 

When disorder of the stomach causes bad 
breath, it must be cured before the evil can be 
remedied. If the contents of the bowels are re- 
tained instead of being promptly voided, their 
fluid portion will be absorbed into the blood 
with all their noxious and disgusting properties. 
The characteristic odor can be easily detected 
in the breath of persons whose bowels are con- 
stipated or irregular. Few things are more of- 
fensive than the breath of a costive child. 

The proper remedies for foul breath from this 
cause are pointed out under the head, ' ' Consti- 
pation." No amount of good looks can atone 
for a foul breath. Cleanliness and wholesome 
diet are all that are necessary to remove it. It 
is a very disgusting thought that the breath may 
contain what ought to have been voided from 
the bowels some time before. 

Vomiting. — If the patient evidently has 
something in his stomach which ought not to 
be there, as indigested food, or something ob- 
noxious which has been swallowed, administer 
a warm-water emetic to assist in the removal of 
the cause of the difficulty. If there is no evi- 
dence of anything in the stomach which needs 
expulsion, apply either very cold or very hot 
cloths over the stomach, place the feet in hot 



234 THE HOUSEHOLD 

water, and give sips of either hot or cold water, 
or little bits of ice to swallow. The attempt 
should not be made to check the vomiting un- 
less it is clear that the stomach has been freed 
from its irritating contents. 

How to Relieve Nausea. — In many cases 
of nausea, all efforts to relieve these symptoms 
by the introduction of remedies into the stomach 
are unavailing, but prompt relief may often be 
obtained by the employment of simple external 
measures, such as the application of heat or cold 
to the stomach and the spine, ice to the back 
of the head or to the throat, mustard plasters 
applied over the stomach, or a similar applica- 
tion to the spine. 

Baldness. — Dyspepsia is one of the most 
common causes of baldness. Nature is a great 
economizer, and when the nutrient elements fur- 
nished by the blood are insufficient to properly 
support the whole body, she cuts off the supply 
to parts the least vital, like the hair and nails, 
that the heart, lungs, and other vital organs may 
be the better nourished. In cases of severe fe- 
vers, this economy is particularly noticeable. A 
single hair is a sort of history of the physical 
condition of an individual during the time it has 
been growing, if one could read closely enough. 
Take a hair from the beard or from the head 
and scrutinize it, and you will see that it shows 
some attenuated places, indicating that at some 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 235 

period of its growth, the blood-supply was de- 
ficient from over-work, anxiety, or under-feed- 
ing. The hair falls out when the strength of 
its roots is insufficient to sustain its weight any 
longer, and a new hair will take its place, unless 
the root is diseased. For this reason, each per- 
son has a certain definite length of hair. When 
the hair begins to split or fall out, massage to 
the scalp is excellent. Place the tip of the 
fingers firmly upon the scalp, and then vibrate 
or move the scalp while holding the pressure 
steadily. This will stimulate the blood-vessels 
underneath, and bring about better nourishment 
of the hair. A brush of unevenly tufted bristles 
is also excellent to use upon the scalp, not the 
hair. Another remedy is to cut the hair short, 
and bathe the head twice a day in cool water, 
adding considerable friction with a brush of me- 
dium stiffness. Keep the feet warm, and main- 
tain good digestion. If the hair follicles are not 
destroyed, the hair will grow again ; otherwise 
it will not. The various lotions sold for this 
purpose are poisonous, and produce diseases 
which are sometimes fatal. 

Dandruff. — This is a condition in which 
branny scales are shed from the scalp in great 
abundance. It may be due to eczema or pityri- 
asis, or may result from a disorder of the 
sebaceous glands, and from acne. The latter 
is the most common cause of the disease. In 



236 THE HOUSEHOLD 

this form of affection, the abnormal secretiom 
of the fat glands appears upon the scalp as 
yellowish scales. This condition is sometimes 
present upon the nose and cheeks as well as 
the scalp. It is often a very annoying com- 
plaint. When affecting the scalp, it sooner or 
later results in loss of the hair. This is not be- 
cause the dandruff destroys the hair, but because 
the same disease which causes the dandruff, in- 
terferes with the nutrition of the hair, thus oc- 
casioning its loss. On account of its tendency 
to produce baldness, the disease should never 
be neglected. Dandruff is generally occasioned 
by disorder of the digestion, or some other de- 
bilitating disease. 

Restore the general health by proper atten- 
tion to the digestion and general hygiene. The 
scalp should be treated by gentle shampooing 
with ordinary washing soap, once or twice a 
week. A very soft brush should be used. Nei- 
ther a stiff brush nor a fine comb should ever be 
used for removing dandruff. After shampooing, 
a liniment composed of equal parts of castor-oil 
and alcohol may be rubbed on. Or obtain at 
the drug store a drachm of hydrate of chloral. 
Dissolve in twelve ounces of water. Moisten 
the scalp with this solution every day. The 
scalp will be cleared of dandruff, and the hair 
prevented from falling out. 

Sore Eyes. — Ordinary inflammation of the 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 237 

eyes is greatly relieved by laying upon them 
one ot two thicknesses of linen cloth wet in 
tepid water. Smarting of the eyes when read- 
ing will usually be relieved by moistening them 
often with water. Never use eye-water or caus- 
tic unless under the advice of a skillful oculist. 

Nearsightedness. — If the eyes are near- 
sighted, they should be at once provided with 
suitable glasses, or they will suffer injury. The 
glasses should be adapted to the eye by an ex- 
perienced oculist. 

Farsightedness. — Like the preceding, this 
disease needs immediate attention, although less 
injury will result from some neglect in this case. 

Styes. — This annoying affection of the lids is 
the usual result of some defect in the eye which 
may be remedied by glasses. This fact is not 
generally known, but ought to be. Instead of 
pulling out all the winkers, and existing a con- 
stant sufferer of these annoying blemishes, con- 
sult a good oculist, and have the defective eye 
corrected. The following is recommended as 
an excellent remedy for styes : Dissolve one 
part of boracic acid in thirty parts of distilled 
water. Wet pieces of wadding in the solu- 
tion, and place upon the eye several times a 
day. This is said not only to cure, but to pre- 
vent a return of the trouble. 

Granulated Eyelids. — We have found the 
hot spray applied to the eye, one of the most 



238 THE HOUSEHOLD 

useful of all means of treating this disease. If 
a spray apparatus is not at hand, simply laving 
the eye with water as hot as can be borne 
without inconvenience, may be employed. The 
application should be made daily for several 
months, as this disease is one which requires 
months, and in some cases, years, for its suc- 
cessful treatment. 

Spectacles. — - There are various forms of 
troubles with the eyes which require the use of 
spectacles ; for instance, myopia, hypermetro- 
pia, and presbyopia. In myopia, or short- 
sightedness, the eyeball is too long. It is 
almost always congenital — a defect which has 
existed from birth. The appearance of the eye 
usually denotes this defect, if it is serious. In 
hypermetropia the eyeball is too short, and the 
vision becomes indistinct or blurred. Continued 
use of the eyes in this condition causes pain 
and fatigue. The focus of the eye constantly 
changes with the distance of the object toward 
which it is directed. In presbyopia, or old- 
sightedness, a person has lost the ability to 
regulate the eye to variations in distance. A 
change occurs in the eye when it is directed 
from an object near at hand to one that is dis- 
tant, and vice versa. In strong, young eyes, 
these changes are made instantly, and with no 
difficulty ; but in old age the ability for adjust- 
ment is diminished. These difficulties of the 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 239 

eye are apt to get worse, unless they receive 
proper attention. When the eyeball is too 
short, as in hypermetropia, in the effort to see 
clearly the muscles are worked very hard, and 
they become weak and Worn cut, and all the 
muscular arrangement of the eye becomes dis- 
turbed. Especially is this the case in long-con- 
tinued efforts at reading and studying. If you 
see a child flat in the forehead, and short in the 
antero-posterior diameter, you may be pretty 
sure that he has hypermetropia. It may not 
be known that there is anything the matter 
with his eyes, until he begins to go to school ; 
then he will complain of pain in the eyeballs, 
and headache, and there will be redness of the 
eyes, and perhaps styes will form. In cases of 
myopia in children, they see objects near at 
hand, so that they do not realize that there is 
anything the matter. 

Hypermetropia can be overcome by adjusting 
glasses so as to make the lens of the eye perfect, 
and this is much better than impairing the eye- 
sight by continual strain. Glasses will put the 
overworked muscles entirely at rest. At first 
the eyes will fail to recognize such aid, and the 
person may complain of giddiness, and other 
difficulties of the kind, and think he cannot 
wear the glasses. The eyes are simply trying 
from habit to do the work which is now ren- 
dered unnecessary. By and by the eye will dis- 



24O THE HOUSEHOLD 

cover this, and settle down and be at rest. If 
such cases are taken in time, the eyes may be 
able to recover their normal conditions, and 
after awhile one will be able to dispense with 
glasses altogether. If not, glasses will be per- 
manently necessary. This condition of hyper- 
metropia is one that is universal in lower ani- 
mals, such as cats, dogs, owls, etc. 

In cases of myopia, glasses will always have 
to be worn ; that trouble can never be outgrown. 
There are cases where the muscles become so 
weak that one cannot look at a near object. 
This is brought on by constantly taxing the eyes 
to look closely at a near object, as in using the 
microscope, or in crocheting and embroidering. 
Children in school get in the habit of focusing 
too strongly ; the muscles become weak, and 
perhaps they will see double — not two entire 
objects, but two overlapping each other, or with 
blurred outlines. In normal sight, a distinct im- 
age of every object is formed in each eye, and 
by delicate adjustment, these are exactly super- 
imposed upon each other, so that but one image 
is presented to the mind ; but if the focusing 
muscles of the eye become weak, they fail to 
perform their work perfectly. A person may 
bring on this muscular weakness by reading 
when lying down, or by abuse of the eyes in 
various ways. He will then have to wear glasses 
that will assist his eyes to properly adjust the 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 24 1 

images formed upon the retina. It is not true 
that because a person puts on glasses he must 
necessarily wear them always. The difficulty 
may be of such a nature as to be wholly cured 
by the use of glasses for a few weeks or months. 

Earache. — Hot applications, or the prolonged 
hot douche, applied with the fountain syringe, 
will often give relief. A hot poultice, continu- 
ously applied, and frequently changed, is a good 
remedy. Half a boiled or roasted onion, bound 
upon the ear, will sometimes give relief. No 
remedy is infallible. The hot foot-bath and 
sitz-bath are excellent remedies. If an abscess 
is forming in the outer ear, the pain will con- 
tinue until it opens, or is lanced. A few drops 
of laudanum placed in the ear gives relief in some 
cases, and can do no harm. A still better ap- 
plication is obtained by evaporating the alcohol 
from a teaspoonful of laudanum, and mixing the 
residue with half a teaspoonful of sweet oil or 
glycerine. Incline the head, and pour a few 
drops of this into the ear. Such applications 
give relief only by deadening the sensibility of 
the nerves, and not by removing the cause of the 
difficulty. Hence they should be employed, if 
at all, only in connection with other remedies. 

For Nose Bleeding. — A slight bleeding from 
the nose may almost invariably be checked by 
holding the hand of the affected side above the 
head. If both hands are held above the head, 



242 THE HOUSEHOLD 

a greater effect may be obtained. Placing the 
hands and feet in hot water is another way of 
checking nosebleed. The most violent attack 
may be controlled by plugging the nostrils before 
and behind. Plugging the nostrils is not so diffi- 
cult an operation as might be imagined. It is 
only necessary to pass through the nose a 
stiff, waxed thread, or a piece of shoemaker's 
4 ' waxed end, " catch the end in the throat, draw 
it out through the mouth, attach a piece of 
cotton rolled firmly, about the size of a walnut, 
and draw it tightly into position. Sometimes 
both sides must be plugged. It is important to 
leave an end hanging down from the mass of 
cotton in the throat, which may be seized by a 
pair of forceps, and used to withdraw the cotton 
after the bleeding is stopped. The cotton should 
be left in place for twenty-four hours. 

A correspondent of the Scientific American 
says : • ' The best remedy for simple bleeding 
at the nose, as given by Gleason in one of his 
lectures, is a vigorous motion of the jaws, as if 
in the act of mastication. In the case of a child, 
a wad of paper should be placed in its mouth, 
and the child instructed to chew it hard. It is 
the motion of the jaws that stops the flow of 
blood. This remedy is so very simple that many 
will feel inclined to laugh at it ; but it has never 
been known to fail, even in very severe cases." 

Red Nose. — In many cases, redness of the 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 243 

nose is caused by chronic indigestion. It may 
also be the result of chronic nasal catarrh. * It 
results most frequently, perhaps, from a disease 
of the skin. Bathing the nose with hot water 
for ten minutes two or three times a day, in 
cases where the redness is not accompanied by 
irritation, is a good remedy ; or the application 
of zinc ointment is beneficial when the redness 
is accompanied by an irritation of the skin. 
When the redness is due to dilated blood- 
vessels, and is unaccompanied by irritation, we 
have found benefit by the use of collodion, 
which is simply painted over the affected part. 
It adheres and contracts by depression of the 
blood-vessels, and decreases their caliber. 

Acne. — This disease is often a source of great 
affliction, especially when it affects the face. It 
appears chiefly in two forms, the irritable and 
the indolent. In irritable acne, there is redness 
and great irritability of the skin. In the in- 
dolent form, the skin is coarse, presenting black- 
heads, often greasy, and here and there are nod- 
ules formed by accumulation of secretions in 
obstructed glands. The two forms require dif- 
ferent treatment. In the treatment of acne, 
the most important means is diet. The patient 
should avoid all stimulating diet, and the food 
should be such as will agree with the stomach. 
Great care should be taken to keep the digestive 
organs in good order. It is of special impor- 



244 THE HOUSEHOLD 

tance that the bowels should be evacuated daily. 
If they are not fully emptied otherwise, it should 
be done by enema. The employment of the 
form of enema called ' ' flushing of the bowels, " 
is of great value in cases where the bowels are 
sluggish, with a tendency to the accumulation 
of fecal matters in the colon. This treatment 
consists of taking an enema in the knee-chest 
position. The amount of water should be about 
three quarts. By this means the entire colon 
may be thoroughly evacuated. There are other 
measures of treatment, consisting in the applica- 
tion of lotions. A lotion composed of one part 
carbonate of bismuth, one part oxide of zinc, and 
eight or ten of water, is an excellent one. But, 
really, lotions accomplish but little in cases of 
this sort. In the ordinary forms of this disease, 
lotions are not needed. The skin of the affected 
part should be carefully rubbed, and the accumu- 
lations in the glands extracted by a gentle press- 
ure between the fingers, or by an instrument 
for the purpose. A sponge does very well. The 
skin should be kept clean, by shampooing it with 
fine soap. These measures will be found very 
effective. 

Remedies for Erysipelas. — Erysipelas is 
now so well recognized as a germ disease that 
the remedies recommended for its treatment are 
naturally those which include some form of ger- 
micide. The following methods are respectively 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 245 

recommended by physicians of high authority 
and large experience :— - 

1. Wash the affected parts and the surround- 
ing skin with soap, and then apply a solution 
consisting of one part carbolic acid to twenty 
parts of alcohol. 

2. Apply ordinary mucilage containing one 
part of carbolic acid to twenty-five parts of 
mucilage. 

3. Apply an ointment consisting of one part 
carbolic acid to twenty parts vaseline. 

4. Paint the affected parts with an ointment 
consisting of creoline, one part, iodoform, four 
parts, lanolin, ten parts. Cover with rubber 
gutta-percha tissue. 

5. Apply compresses wet with a solution of 
salicylate of soda, one part to twenty of water, 
covering the compresses with rubber gutta-per- 
cha tissue. 

Eczema. — Eczema is catarrh of the skin very 
similar to catarrh of the nose. The secretion 
dries up, and is left in little scales upon the sur- 
face. It needs astringent treatment. In cases 
of chronic eczema, where there is cracking of 
the skin, and where the secretion dries down 
in little blisters so that there is a thickening of 
the skin, treatment with hot water, just as hot 
as can be borne, from three to five times a 
day, is the best thing. A hot spray is better 
than soaking the part in hot water. The effect 



246 THE HOUSEHOLD 

is to stimulate the blood-vessels so that they will 
contract. An ointment of equal parts of zinc 
and tar is good. . A solution of two teaspoon- 
fuls of soda to a pint of water is another good 
application. When there is considerable irrita- 
tion, apply the zinc ointment. 

A New Remedy for Shingles. — This mal- 
ady, known to physicians as herpes zoster, is 
often very unyielding to ordinary measures of 
treatment, lasting sometimes several weeks, and 
accompanied by most excruciating neuralgic 
pains. A French physician has recently called 
attention to the fact that the irritation and pain 
may be greatly relieved by an application of an 
alcoholic solution of resorcin, thymol, menthol, 
or tannin ; two parts of resorcin, two of tan- 
nin, and three of menthol or one of thymol, 
should be employed to one hundred parts of 
alcohol. Cloths, wet in either one of the solu- 
tions named, and applied over the seat of the 
disease, being covered with oiled silk, muslin, 
or rubber cloth, it is said, give very prompt re- 
lief, which becomes permanent if the applica- 
tions are renewed every few hours. 

Liver Spots. — The liver is rarely responsible 
for the dark stains appearing on the face and 
the body, and which are generally attributed 
to it. The proper name for these is chloasma. 
They are due to a' large amount of pigment. If 
the dye extends clear through the skin, there is 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 247 

no getting rid of the spots short of a surgical 
operation. 

Freckles produced by exposure to sun and 
wind may be easily removed by the application 
of such remedies as grated horse-radish, lemon- 
juice and borax, — one dram borax to one ounce 
lemon-juice, — or lemon-juice alone. Freckles 
which are present at all times, whether there 
has been exposure or not, cannot be removed 
by this means, or by any other with which we 
are acquainted. They are a part of the skin, 
and are so deep that lotions applied to the sur- 
face will not affect them. 

"Wrinkles. — The inquiry, ' ' How can wrinkles 
be removed ? " is often made of physicians. A 
recently discovered and excellent remedy is mas- 
sage, applied in connection with some unguent, 
as the finest vaseline or lanolin. By the daily 
employment of this simple means in the hands 
of a skillful manipulator, wrinkles can often be 
almost entirely removed. 

Itching without Eruption. — One of the 
most obstinate forms of pruritis is that which 
is not accompanied by eruption of any sort. 
Elderly people are particularly subject to this 
form of the disease. The following remedies 
are recommended by an eminent French pro- 
fessor, as being very valuable in such cases : 
After washing the body, at night, just be- 
fore retiring, with a quart of warm water con- 



248 THE HOUSEHOLD 

taining two drams of a solution of carbolic 
acid and half a pint of vinegar, dust over the 
entire body with a powder consisting of five 
drams of salicylite of bismuth and three ounces 
of starch, or three drams of salicylic acid and 
three ounces of starch. 

Itch. — This disease is caused by a parasite 
which burrows under the skin. The object of 
treatment is to kill the insect. It is perhaps 
possible to do this by means of water alone ; 
but as the only applications necessary are made 
to the skin only, no harm can result from the 
careful use of more speedy and effective reme- 
dies. Sulphur is the most reliable remedy. 
Take two ounces of lard, one jounce of sulphur, 
and one eighth ounce of powdered sal-ammo- 
niac. Mix well, and apply at night after thor- 
oughly washing the affected parts in strong soap- 
suds. Allow the ointment to remain on over 
night. Wash it off thoroughly in the morn- 
ing, and put on clean clothes. Repeat the same 
treatment three or four times in succession. An 
ointment of storax and lard, one part of the 
former to four of the latter, is quite efficient. 
Perfect cleanliness is essential to successful treat- 
ment. Oil and lard alone, it is said, will cure 
by half a dozen applications. Mercurial prepar- 
ations should be avoided, as they sometimes 
poison the system. 

Chafing. — Fleshy persons and children are 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. . 249 

often seriously troubled by chafing, in hot 
weather. Daily cleansing of the affected parts 
with cool water and fine soap, and local tepid 
bathing, repeated several times a day, will prove 
the most efficient remedies. Anointing the parts 
with sweet cream or a little unsalted butter, and 
applying dry, powdered starch, are useful meas- 
ures. Cleanliness is the most important remedy. 

For Chafing Shoes. — An excellent remedy 
for shoes that chafe the feet, will be found in a 
mixture consisting of eighty-five parts pulverized 
soapstone, starch fifteen, and salicylic acid four. 
Put a little of the powder in the shoes. 

Chapped Hands, Feet, and Lips. — Wet, 
cold, and dirt are the chief causes. The use 
of poor soap, and imperfectly drying the hands 
before exposure to cold, are the exciting causes 
of chapped hands, in most cases. To cure, keep 
them scrupulously clean. Wash them with cas- 
tile soap and soft water. After wiping them 
nearly dry, rub them with finely powdered starch. 

Washing the hands with water to which a 
handful of bran or cornmeal has been added is 
a good remedy. Another remedy : After thor- 
ough washing and drying at night, apply glyc- 
erine, adding a few drops of soft water, and 
rubbing in well. Wear gloves during the 
night. Sweet cream is another common rem- 
edy. Honey is warmly recommended by some. 
The wet bandage is one of the best remedies. 



25O THE HOUSEHOLD 

The same remedies are to be used for the lips 
and feet as for the hands. When fissures, or 
cracks, occur, keep the edges together by means 
of adhesive plaster. 

Warts. — If the wart is small, it may be cured 
by touching it with the end of a stick which has 
been dipped in strong acetic acid. The applica- 
tion should be made several times a day until it 
is destroyed. If large and old, apply nitric acid 
in the same way. Lunar caustic and caustic 
potash may also be used. 

Felon. — The real disease is an abscess formed 
beneath the periosteum, or skin of the bone. It 
may sometimes be dispersed by the application 
of turpentine or other strong irritants, or by 
holding the finger in strong lye as hot as can 
be borne for half an hour, several times a day. 
Keeping the hand constantly in ice-cold water 
gives great relief, and sometimes prevents the 
further progress of the disease, if employed in 
time. Relief is also afforded by the cold douche, 
arm-bath, and wearing the cold compress upon 
the arm and hand. When the disease is mani- 
festly settled, the quickest remedy is found in 
lancing the finger to the bone. Warm fomenta- 
tions and poultices may afterward be applied, to 
encourage the discharge. 

Ingrowing Nail. — If the toe is greatly in- 
flamed, place it in a warm foot-bath, an hour 
at a time, three times a day. During the in- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 25 I 

tervals, it should be covered with a poultice 
made of bread and milk, linseed, or slippery 
elm. By this means, the inflammation and 
tenderness will be greatly reduced. The next 
step in treatment should be to scrape the cen- 
ter of the nail with a sharp knife until it be- 
comes as thin as possible without exposing the 
flesh. Then slightly elevate the outer edge of 
the nail for the purpose, and place under- 
neath it delicate pledgets of cotton. If the 
nail penetrates the flesh so deeply as to make 
this impossible, it may be necessary to remove 
a very small portion by splitting it off with a 
sharp knife. A still better way is to crowd un- 
derneath the diseased portion of the' nail delicate 
filaments of floss-silk, drawing in one portion 
after another until the nail is elevated out of 
the tender flesh. The nail may be still further 
elevated by the employment of the same means, 
while the poultices are continued, till a complete 
and permanent cure is effected. 

Stone-Bruise. — This disease, usually the re- 
sult of accident, is of a nature similar to felon. 
The intense pain often present is relieved by 
placing the part in very cold water. It may be 
treated nearly like a felon. 

Corns, — These are excrescences produced by 
a morbid growth of the skin. They are caused 
either by friction or by pressure, and are usually 
the result of wearing a tight and otherwise ill- 



252 THE HOUSEHOLD 

fitting boot or shoe. Corns are not always pro- 
duced by tight shoes or boots, being often occa- 
sioned by the friction of loosely fitted foot-gear. 
There are two varieties of corns, hard and soft. 
Hard corns are formed upon the outside of the 
toe ; soft corns are produced between the toes. 

To cure a corn, the first thing to be done is to 
soften it. To accomplish this, soak the foot in 
hot water for one hour every night, and then ap- 
ply a cloth saturated with a strong solution of 
saleratus. Continue this treatment for three or 
four days ; then remove the corn with a thin, 
sharp-bladed knife, carefully working the instru- 
ment between the corn and the healthy skin be- 
neath. If the whole corn has been removed, all 
that now remains to be done is to protect the 
part from pressure. This may be very easily ac- 
complished by placing over it a piece of soft 
buckskin, in which an opening has been made 
of the exact size of the corn, which should be 
placed exactly over the seat of the disease. 
By this simple means, the diseased surface will 
be wholly protected from pressure. Any ten- 
dency to harden may be prevented by keeping 
the buckskin saturated with sweet oil. This 
simple treatment, if thoroughly applied, will 
rarely fail to cure any corn. 

Here is the latest suggestion : Soak a piece 
of bread in strong vinegar ; apply to the corn as 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 253 

a poultice. The effect is, the corn is so soft- 
ened that it can be easily removed. 

Bunions. — These originate in the same way 
as corns, and require somewhat similar treat- 
ment. Soaking the feet in hot water when 
they are inflamed, and bathing with cool water 
at other times, gives great relief. If there is 
much thickening of the skin, apply a caustic, 
as nitrate of silver, or lunar caustic. When 
the black surface comes off, apply the caustic 
again. Wearing a piece of soft buckskin, as 
directed for corns, to prevent pressure, is a 
useful remedy. 

Chilblains. — This annoying affection, though 
seemingly insignificant, often makes existence al- 
most a burden by its constant irritation. It is 
easily cured, but not by the application of any 
sort of salve, ointment, liniment, or quack nos-, 
trum, no matter how highly recommended. 

Just before retiring, prepare two vessels for a 
foot-bath. Place in one water as hot as can be 
borne, and in the other very cold water. Place 
the feet first in the hot water for two minutes, 
then in the cold water for the same time. Alter- 
nate thus four or five times, merely dipping the 
feet in the cold water the last time, and then 
wiping them dry. Repeat this treatment every 
night until the cure is effected. Improvement 
will usually begin at once. 



2 54 THE HOUSEHOLD 

Wear thin cotton stockings inside the woolen 
ones, and avoid exposing the feet to severe cold 
until they are well. A general bath twice a 
week is necessary. 

A gentleman called at our office the other day, 
suffering with what his physicians had termed 
eczema of the feet. The heels and sides of the 
feet were red and slightly swollen, and exceed- 
ingly painful. The trouble began with freezing 
the feet several years ago, as we found by in- 
quiry. The case was evidently one of chronic 
erythema, an inflammation or congestion of the 
skin, or what might not improperly be termed, 
chronic chilblains. The following treatment 
cured him: I. Bathe the feet with very hot 
water for fifteen or twenty minutes every night. 
2. After bathing the feet with hot water, rub 
them well with benzOated zinc ointment. 

Tender Feet. — When feet are tender and 
painful after long walking or standing, great 
relief can be had by bathing them in salt and 
water, a handful of salt to a gallon of water. 
Have the water as hot as can be comfortably 
borne ; immerse the feet, and throw water up 
over the knees with the hands. When the 
water grows cool, rub feet and limbs briskly 
with a dry towel. 

Foul and Profuse Perspiration. — Just be- 
fore retiring at night, take a hot and cold foot- 
bath, dipping the feet first in cold water then in 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 255 

hot, allowing them to remain in each for about 
one half minute, and repeating the operation 
fifteen or twenty times. Then wipe with a 
soft towel, and when nearly dry, rub with 
subnitrate of bismuth, using two heaping tea- 
spoonfuls. 

Burning Feet. — Bathe the feet night and 
morning with tepid water to which a little soap 
has been added. When nearly dry, dust freely 
over them a powder composed of one part of 
salicylic acid and sixteen parts of powdered 
alum. If the burning is especially troublesome 
at night, dip in hot water for fifteen minutes 
before applying the powder. A jug filled with 
cold water is a good palliative. 

Gold Feet. — Cold feet are due to ' deficient 
circulation. Administer the alternate hot-and- 
cold foot-bath as directed for chilblains, several 
times a day, if possible, and at least twice a 
day. Wear large, thick boots or shoes, and 
thick woolen stockings. Keep the feet dry. 
Exercise. Allow no constriction about the 
limbs, as garters or elastics. Clothe the up- 
per portions of the limbs warmly. Do not 
wear rubbers, except for a little while at a time, 
when necessary. Electric or galvanic soles are 
of no use whatever. The feet should be kept 
perfectly clean, and the stockings should be 
changed every day, being allowed to air one 
day, when they may be worn again. Three 



256 THE HOUSEHOLD 

changes a week are none too many for cleanli- 
ness and warmth. Cork soles are useful. 

Rheumatism. — Inflammatory rheumatism re- 
quires the attendance of an experienced person. 
The wandering pains from which many people 
suffer, which are commonly called rheumatism, 
can be relieved by proper attention. 

1 . Avoid the use of irritating condiments, tea, 
coffee, tobacco, and alcoholic liquors, including 
wine, beer, etc. Avoid, also, gross food, and 
the use of food or drink containing saline mat- 
ters. Be temperate in all things. 

2. Dress warmly and uniformly. Silk or 
buckskin undersuits, worn next the cotton un- 
der-clothing, give great relief to many. Wear 
flannel the whole year. 

3. Apply heat to the painful parts as in neu- 
ralgia. The hot-air and vapor baths are good. 
Keep the skin clean. Exercise freely. 

The Apple-Cure for Gout. — Dr. John Hunter 
was an enthusiastic advocate of the apple-cure 
for gout. Instead of drinking freely of wine, and 
consuming quantities of rare roast beef, he en- 
joined upon his patients who were suffering from 
gout, the importance of the free use of apples 
in the place of wine-drinking, roast beef, mut- 
ton chop, etc. 

Colic. — The usual causes are indigestion and 
constipation. Administer a copious enema to 
secure a free passage from the bowels. Apply 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 257 

dry, hot cloths or hot fomentations over the 
abdomen. Percuss and knead the abdomen 
gently, to promote action of the bowels. Hot 
drinks do very little good, and usually as little 
harm. For an infant, fold a thick woolen 
blanket, wet one end in water as hot as can 
be borne, wring it so that it will not drip, 
and apply the wet end over the abdomen, wrap- 
ping the remainder round its body. It is often 
often surprising to mark the almost instan- 
taneous relief which follows. The applica- 
tions must be hot, not simply warm, and must 
be renewed every five or ten minutes, until re- 
lief is obtained. Nearly all abdominal pains 
may be relieved in the same way. 

Convulsions. — The convulsions of children — 
commonly called spasms, or fits — are usually due 
either to worms or indigestion, unless they occur 
in the course of some acute disease. Place the 
child at once in a hot bath, disturbing it as little 
as possible. It will usually recover in a few 
minutes. When sufficiently recovered, admin- 
ister an enema to free the bowels, and keep 
the child perfectly quiet. Some advise the cold 
bath, and practice it with good success. The 
patient should be rubbed vigorously during the 
cold bath. 

Epileptic convulsions require more than sim- 
ple domestic treatment. The most that can be 
done for the patient during the fit is to prevent 



258 THE HOUSEHOLD 

him from injuring himself or others. The lips 
and tongue are often severely bitten by the spas- 
modic action of the muscles of the jaws' closing 
the teeth together upon them. This may be 
prevented by placing a piece of soft wood or 
other material between the teeth at the begin- 
ning of the fit. As the patient usually sleeps 
some time after the attack, the brief interval of 
consciousness which immediately follows it should 
be occupied in getting him into a comfortable 
position. 

Hysterics. — This peculiar disease is most 
common in women, though sometimes observed 
in men. It is a real disease, and should be 
treated as such. The symptoms are fully as 
varied as the cases. Hysterics may simulate 
almost any disease. Place the patient upon a 
sofa, beside which put a large vessel. Hold the 
head of the patient over the vessel, and pour 
cold water upon it from a pitcher held a few 
feet above. Apply at the same time cold to 
the chest and spine, and hot bricks or bottles 
to the feet. This treatment may be continued 
for an hour or two without injury, if the patient 
does not recover sooner. Speedy relief is usually 
secured. If the patient becomes quite chilly, 
apply warm cloths to the chest and shoulders. 

Apoplexy. — If a person falls suddenly, and 
is found breathing hard, with a full pulse, throb- 
bing temples, and flushed face, he has apoplexy. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. ' 259 

Loosen every constriction about the throat at 
once, elevate the head, secure fresh air, bare 
the chest, and pour cold water upon the head. 
See that the extremities are warm. Call a phy- 
sician as soon as possible. Do not bleed, nor 
give brandy, ammonia, or any other stimulant. 
Apoplectic convulsions are quite rare. They 
usually occur in sedentary people of full habit, 
in advanced life. 

Fainting. — When a person faints, the heart 
nearly ceases its action, the action of the lungs 
is nearly or quite suspended, the face becomes 
pale, and partial or complete unconsciousness 
ensues. If the person has fallen, do not elevate 
the head, but be careful to keep it as low or 
lower than the rest of the body. If the patient 
is sitting in a chair, step behind him, grasp the 
chair at the sides, and carefully tip it back until 
the head touches the floor. This alone will suf- 
fice, in many cases. If the patient does not im- 
mediately revive, loosen the clothing about the 
neck, chest, and abdomen ; sprinkle cold water 
in the face ; slap the surface of the body with the 
hand or a slipper ; apply ammonia, camphor, 
or any other pungent odor to the nostrils ; secure 
abundant cool, fresh air, and use artificial respi- 
ration. If the patient can swallow, give very 
hot or very cold drinks. 

A person who is subject to syncope should lie 
down at once when he first feels faint. 



26o THE HOUSEHOLD 

Sleeplessness. — This most annoying and ex- 
hausting symptom may be greatly relieved by 
attention to the following suggestions : — 

i . Retire early, having taken, an hour or so 
previously, sufficient muscular exercise to induce 
slight weariness. 

2. Eat nothing within four hours of bedtime. 
If ' ' faint " at the stomach, drink half a glass of 
hot lemonade. If this does not suffice, a mellow 
sweet or subacid apple may be taken an hour 
before retiring, unless fruit occasions pain or 
acidity. 

3. If feverish, the skin being hot and dry, 
upon retiring, take a light hand-bath with tepid 
water. 

4. If troubled with cold feet and hands, em- 
ploy the means suggested for the relief of cold- 
ness of feet. 

5. Sleep in a cool room, but take care that 
the bedding is well aired and dry, and the room 
well ventilated. 

6. When nervousness causes loss of sleep, 
there are various methods of inducing slumber, 
one of the most efficient being slow, deep, and 
steady breathing. By this means the lungs are 
filled with blood, and the brain is thus relieved 
of the congestion which causes wakefulness. 

Ague. — Ague, or intermittent fever, is one of 
the most common of all diseases in malarious 
districts. It prevails especially in the spring 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 26 1 

and autumn months. The exciting cause of the 
disease is a certain poisonous miasm which rises 
from low lands that are alternately flooded and 
dry during the warm season. 

Bilious or remittent fever is produced by the 
same cause. These diseases are so common that 
we need not describe the symptoms. 

Prevention. — The following suggestions re- 
specting prevention will be found useful : — 

1. Unless compelled by dire necessity to do 
otherwise, do not live in a malarious district ; in 
other words, seek a residence that is as remote 
as possible from localities where malaria is known 
to be produced. 

2. If your residence is already fixed in a ma- 
larious district, employ every means possible to 
prevent the reception of the poison into the sys- 
tem, and to counteract its effects. Avoid being 
in the vicinity of the malarious localities during 
the evening and early morning, since at these 
times the miasm settles near the ground. Se- 
cure, if possible, a dense growth of trees be- 
tween the source of malaria and the residence ; 
if this is impracticable, plant, every year, in the 
same place, a large area of sunflowers, which 
will serve the purpose of destroying the miasm. 

3. Keep the system in as free and clear a con- 
dition as possible, by avoiding such habits and 
such articles of diet as will impair the integrity 
of the liver, skin, kidneys, lungs, and other elim- 



262 THE HOUSEHOLD 

inative organs. This will enable the system to 
eliminate the poison without its occasioning dis- 
ease. 

Treatment. — At the beginning of the disease, 
give the patient a vapor bath on the well day, 
and in case the chill occurs every other day, re- 
peat the treatment on each well day for a week. 
During the chill, surround the patient with warm 
blankets, hot bricks, bed-warmers, a jug of 
hot water, or any other means of imparting 
artificial heat ; but avoid applying water to 
the surface of the body, unless it be to the head. 
Remove all hot applications as soon as the fever 
begins to appear. When the fever is at its hight, 
sponge the body with tepid water. The spong- 
ing may be repeated at intervals while the fever 
continues. During the sweating stage, fre- 
quently wipe the skin with a soft cloth ; and 
when the sweating ceases, change the patient's 
clothing after a thorough sponging of the body. 
If there is a tendency to sweat at night, admin- 
ister the wet rubbing-sheet at bedtime. If the 
vapor bath cannot be given, the wet-sheet pack 
is a very good substitute. 

The diet should be very simple. Oatmeal or 
graham gruel, with ripe fruit and dry toast or 
graham crackers, constitute an admirable diet- 
ary for a person suffering with ague. 

In case the chill occurs every day, the vapor 
bath or pack should be given in the afternoon, 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 263 

or every other day, after the paroxysm is past. 
If the severity of the disease is unabated after 
this treatment has been thoroughly applied for 
a week or ten days, it would be well to resort to 
direct means for breaking the periodicity of the 
disease. A very efficient means of doing this is 
to get the patient into a profuse sweat by sur- 
rounding him with hot bricks, warm blankets, 
and other hot applications, twenty minutes be- 
fore the time for the chill to begin. The patient 
should be kept very warm for an hour or two, 
or until all danger of chilling is past. Care 
should be exercised not to press this means to 
such a degree as to produce violent congestion 
of the head. If this plan fails after two or three 
thorough trials, the use of an anti-periodic med- 
icine will break the chills, and then the patient 
will make a rapid recovery. Medicine properly 
used will do the system less harm than the pro- 
longation of the disease ; for the popular theory 
that it is better to wear out the disease than to 
check it in any way, is a great error. In many 
instances, consumption, dropsy, and other grave 
and fatal diseases are produced by allowing ague 
to continue until the vital forces of the patient 
are exhausted. 

An Austrian physician recently published an 
aecount of a new method of treating ague by 
rubbing the spine. He made the discovery 



264 THE HOUSEHOLD 

while he was army surgeon on duty at a dis- 
tant point. The stock of quinine becoming ex- 
hausted while many soldiers were suffering from 
ague, he was at first at a loss to know what 
could be done for them. But wishing to keep 
them occupied with some sort of treatment, he 
ordered that the spine should be well rubbed 
twice a day, a little ointment being used simply 
for lubrication. He found the treatment singu- 
larly successful, and since that time has rarely 
failed to cure this disease, without administering 
medicine of any kind. ' 

Diabetes. — When this disease occurs in fleshy 
persons, it is almost invariably due to errors 
in diet. Through the excessive use of sugar, 
the liver cells have undergone such changes 
as to render them incapable of transform- 
ing the sugar brought by the portal vein from 
the digestive organs, into liver starch, and 
again transforming it in small quantities into 
sugar, which the organ doles out to the body 
as is required by the system. In consequence 
of these changes, the portal blood is allowed to 
pass directly into the circulation, and the sugar 
is eliminated by the kidneys. When this dis- 
ease appears in lean persons, it indicates a more 
serious change, and a failure on the part of all 
the cells in the body which are employed in the 
consumption of sugar, so that it is a much more 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 265 

serious disease. The first form of the disease 
may be controlled by a regulation of the diet, 
carefully avoiding all sugar and starchy articles. 
But in the other form of the disease, diet has 
no influence, other than to lessen slightly the 
amount of sugar ; the patient's condition is com- 
monly not very much improved. Possibly the 
first form of the disease is a very common one, 
and its cause must be well understood ; and as 
this disease is alone controlled by diet, and is 
rarely entirely cured, it is much better to pre- 
vent the disease altogether, by avoiding the excess- 
ive use of sugar and all' starchy articles of food. 
Incontinence of Urine in Children. — For 
"wetting the bed at night," the most effective 
plan which can be pursued, is to restrain the 
patient from drinking for three or four hours 
before retiring. An eminent physician has sug- 
gested that the free use of meat by children en- 
courages the habit. Whipping, unless the child 
is lazy or vicious, will do no good ; in fact, these 
measures are likely to do harm by exciting a 
nervous condition of the system, which will en- 
courage the very thing to be corrected. Wear- 
ing a wet bandage about the lower part of 
the bowels at night is a very useful measure. 
To prevent the patient from sleeping upon the 
back, a good remedy is to tie a knot in a towel, 
and place it about the body in such a way that 
the knot will come at the center of the back. 



266 THE HOUSEHOLD 

Worms. — Various kinds of worms infest the 
human body. Children are particularly liable to 
them. For the small worms which are found in 
the rectum, perfect cleanliness, regularity of the 
bowels, daily enemas of salt water, and anoint- 
ing the anus with sweet oil are the best rem- 
edies. Indigestion and constipation are the 
chief causes. 

Tape-worm and the large round worm require 
more energetic measures of treatment. For the 
first, the best remedy known is the seed of the 
common pumpkin. Take two ounces of fresh 
seeds, remove the shells, and beat them to a 
paste with an equal quantity of finely pulver- 
ized white sugar. Add a little milk or water, 
and take at one dose after fasting twenty-four 
hours. After three hours, take a tablespoonful 
of castor oil. If this does not dislodge the 
worm, there probably is none. Many people 
imagine they have tape-worms when they have 
not. For a child, the dose should be about 
one half that for an adult. The fluid extract 
of the seeds can be obtained at the stores, the 
dose of which is one half a fluid ounce. 

For the round worms, chenopodium, or worm 
seed, is one of the best remedies. For a child 
two or three years old, give half a dram of the 
seed in sirup or honey, night and morning, for 
three or four days in succession. After the last 
dose, give a teaspoonful of castor oil. Five or 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 267 

ten drops of the oil may be given with sugar, 
in place of the seed. 

Goiter, — The cause of goiter is very obscure. 
It has been attributed to scrofula, to the use of 
hard water, to cloudy weather, and to low lat- 
itudes ; yet it appears under circumstances in 
which none of these conditions would surely 
account for it. There are many cases to be 
found in the Swiss Alps ; in fact, it is quite 
fashionable there, among men as well as among 
women, to have a large goiter, of the size of 
which many seem to be *proud. In certain of 
the cantons, shut in by high mountains, where 
the sun shines but a few hours of the day, it is 
found that persons having this disease improve if 
they are removed farther up the mountains, 
where it is dryer and more sunny ; and so a. 
hospital has been built there for their accom- 
modation. Goiter often begins in children not 
more than ten or twelve years of age, and is ac- 
companied by a weakening of the mental powers. 
The use of iodine, though a popular remedy, is 
very uncertain ; it may drive the swelling away, 
but it usually returns after a little. The im- 
provement of the general health and the use of 
electricity are the best remedial agents known. 
A goiter which has become very hard and firm 
cannot be cured except by a somewhat danger- 
ous surgical operation. 

Stammering. — Stammering is a real disease. 



268 THE HOUSEHOLD 

It is sometimes induced by imitation of others, 
in those who have no natural impediment of 
speech. An English medical journal gives the 
following as a remedy for stammering: "Do 
not speak or attempt to speak when inhaling 
the breath, but draw as much air into the lungs 
as they will hold, and then speak very slowly. 
Repeat this operation, and by patient persever- 
ance the habit may be completely overcome." 
One of the causes of stammering is attempting 
to speak with the lungs only partially filled. 
Speak only with deliberation, in a firm, rather 
loud voice, and stop speaking instantly when 
the slightest embarrassment is felt. 

Food for Feeble Children. — In many acute 
diseases of childhood there is so great stomach 
disturbance that ordinary food cannot be taken. 
In cases of this sort, a mixture consisting of 
equal parts of lime water, milk, and white of 
egg, will often be retained when nothing else 
can be, and thus the little patient will be nour- 
ished until the vital functions of the stomach 
are resumed. 

Thumb-Sucking. — The popular idea that 
thumb-sucking is injurious to an infant's health, 
is combated by a prominent English physician, 
who insists that thumb-sucking is not only not 
injurious, but actually beneficial. The follow- 
ing are his arguments in favor of this infantile 
practice, which certainly seem to us to be 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 269 

harmless enough : ' ' Sucking the thumb causes 
the salivary glands to pour out their secretion, 
thus moistening the mouth, and aiding diges- 
tion. The pressure of the thumb eases, while 
the teeth are ' breeding, ' the irritation and pain 
of the gums, and helps, when the teeth are 
sufficiently advanced, to bring them through. 
Sucking of the thumb, moreover, makes a cross 
infant contented and happy, and frequently in- 
duces a restless babe to fall into a sweet, re- 
freshing sleep. After dentition is completed, it 
is likely to become a habit with a child ; in that 
case, it may be readily cured by smearing the 
thumb with a paste of aloes and water. One 
or two applications will probably be sufficient." 

Measles. — Ordinary cases require little more 
than care and good nursing. The comfort of 
the patient is greatly increased by frequent tepid 
sponge-baths or packs. If the eruption does 
not appear promptly, or is repelled, put the pa- 
tient into a hot pack, with a woolen sheet, for 
thirty minutes. Keep the head constantly wet 
with cool water, and bathe the face every few 
minutes when there is considerable fever. If 
the throat is sore, give treatment for sore throat, 
as already described. Give the patient abun- 
dance of fresh air, but do not expose him to 
draughts. The diet should be as simple as pos- 
sible, and very light. 

Scarlet Fever. — This disease may be treated 



27O THE HOUSEHOLD 

■essentially in the same manner as measles. The 
sponge-bath should be administered several times 
a day. Keep the bowels free by enemas. 

Vitality of Scarlet Fever Contagion. — A 
medical journal records a case in which a fam- 
ily of children contracted scarlet fever from the 
clothing of a servant who had nursed a case 
of scarlet fever more than a year previous, the 
clothing in the meantime having been kept in a 
trunk. 

Fevers. — Simple fevers may be treated in 
accordance with the directions for measles and 
scarlet fever. If complications occur, as pleu- 
risy, lung fever, or other affections, a physician 
should be consulted. 

Mumps. — This common affection needs little 
more than careful nursing. A spare diet, rest, 
and a daily warm bath facilitate recovery. If 
the diseased parts are very painful, treat as for 
sore throat. Keep the feet warm. If the breasts 
or testicles become inflamed, apply ice, or alter- 
nate hot and cold treatment. 

Whooping Cough. — No method of treatment 
will cure this disease, but in ordinary cases the 
patient will get well of himself in due time. Good 
care, plenty of fresh air, a warm bath three or 
four times a week, and plain, nourishing diet, 
are the best means to secure a speedy recovery. 

Dysentery. — This disease consists of an in- 
flammation of the large intestine, or colon. In 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 2JI 

mild cases, the disease is limited to the rectum. 
The local inflammation is accompanied by gen- 
eral fever, together with the discharge of mucus, 
with more or less blood. The cause of the dis- 
ease is sometimes obscure ; improper diet, bad 
water, foul air, or exposure to the wet during 
the hot months, may be mentioned as among 
the most common causes. 

In treatment, energetic measures should be 
used to diminish the local inflammation, and to 
subdue the general fever. This may best be 
done by the use of fomentations and compresses 
over the bowels and abdomen, together with the 
wet-hand rub and wet-sheet pack, administered 
as frequently as the severity of the case de- 
mands. Great care should be taken to keep the 
extremities thoroughly warm. If the head is 
unnaturally hot, cold applications may be made 
to it. If spasms occur, great relief may be ob- 
tained from applications of ice or very cold water 
to the head and upper portion of the spine. 
Local pain may be greatly relieved by the use 
of warm or cool enemas. Keep the patient very 
quiet. His food should be such as will be easily 
digested, and of such a character that it will not 
be a source of irritation to the mucous mem- 
brane. 

It is an erroneous notion that fruit is a cause of 
this disease. It may be occasioned by eating 
unripe fruit ; but the immaturity of the fruit is 



2 7 2 THE HOUSEHOLD 

the cause of the disturbance, being a source of 
irritation to the intestinal canal on account of 
its indigestibility. Ripe fruit not only does not 
occasion dysentery, but some kinds of fruit, as 
blackberries, raspberries, and grapes, are con- 
ducive to recovery- when freely used. Fruit is 
rarely harmful if eaten properly, being taken at 
meals only, in moderate quantity, and thoroughly 
masticated. 

Cramps.— Relief is given by the hot or cold 
douche, hot fomentations, rubbing with cold 
water, and by pressing the affected muscle 
against some hard body, or grasping it firmly 
with the hand. Cramp in the stomach may 
require an emetic of warm water, with a hot sitz- 
bath and foot-bath in addition to fomentations. 
Pain. — Acute pain is usually due either to in- 
flammation or neuralgia. Hot applications are 
nearly always the most grateful and the most 
successful of any local remedy. Hot fomenta- 
tions are the most convenient means of applying 
heat, though hot bricks, bottles or rubber bags 
filled with hot water, and heated sand-bags are 
equally serviceable in many cases. Sometimes, 
however, cold applications are the most grate- 
ful and efficient. The patient's feelings will 
determine which should employed. The hot 
foot-bath, or the foot-bath and sitz-bath com- 
bined, is sometimes necessary in addition to local 
measures. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 273 

Sand-BagS. — Hot-water bottles and rubber 
bags are excellent to relieve pain ; but a good 
substitute, and one always ready for use, is a 
sand-bag. It may be made by putting a few 
pounds of clean sand into a flannel bag, and 
then slipping over it another bag made of close 
cotton cloth. It can be quickly heated in an 
oven. 

Face-ache. — Pain in the face is generally of 
a neuralgic character. Frequently it originates 
in a diseased tooth. Make hot applications in 
any of the several ways described. Occasionally 
it happens that cold applications are best. The 
foot-bath, sitz-bath, and abstinence from food 
are useful auxiliaries of treatment. When due 
to-constitutional causes, as the use of tea, coffee, 
tobacco, or liquor, or to an impoverished condi- 
tion of the blood and general derangement of 
the nerves, the disease is very obstinate, and re- 
quires constitutional treatment. 

Toothache. — This painful affection is often 
closely connected with face-ache. It may be 
due to a decayed or ulcerated tooth, or to dis- 
ease of the dental nerve. Apply the same reme- 
dies as directed for face-ache. In addition,, 
apply half a steamed fig (hot) to the diseased 
tooth. A bit of cotton saturated with laudanum 
or creosote, and crowded into the cavity of a 
carious tooth, will often give speedy relief. The 
only proper and permanent remedy, when the 



274 THE HOUSEHOLD 

tooth is decayed, is to have it filled or extracted. 
It should be filled if possible. 

Care of the Teeth.— The best dentifrices are 
white castile soap and menthol. Cleanse the 
teeth carefully on going to bed at night and on 
rising in the morning, with a little castile 
soap and a soft brush, rinsing the mouth with 
water containing one or two grains of menthol 
to the ounce. Remove all particles which may 
lodge between the teeth, by means of silk threads. 
Dentifrices which do not contain soap are of little 
or no account, and the other things which popu- 
lar tooth lotions contain are of no value except 
as flavors, and some of them are injurious. In 
the latter class must be placed salicylic acid. 

Softening of the Brain.— So-called soften- 
ing of the brain is usually not softening of the 
brain ; it is simply congestion of the brain from 
bad food, bad air, late hours, dissipation, lack 
of exercise, and sundry other causes. Healthy 
food, a daily bath, abundant sleep, and plenty 
of exercise in the open air, will cure nearly every 
case in a short time. 

Consumption. — Is consumption curable ? — It 
is, if taken in time. The following hints, if 
carefully followed, will arrest the disease in its 
early stages : — 

i. Avoid all the causes of the disease, chief 
among which are breathing air which has been 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 275 

previously breathed, sedentary habits, late hours, 
and exposure to extremes of temperature. 

2. Live in the open air at least seven hours a 
day. Exercise sufficiently to produce moderate 
fatigue, but not exhaustion. Walking and horse- 
back riding are good exercises. 

3. Fill the lungs to their utmost capacity sev- 
eral times in succession, every hour of the day 
at least ; and cultivate the habit of deep breath- 
ing. Do not strain the lungs by holding the 
breath long. Keep the shoulders well thrown 
back. 

4. Avoid all kinds of stimulants and stimulat- 
ing food. Eat the most nourishing kinds of 
food. The chance for recovery largely depends 
upon the amount of nutriment which can be 
well digested and assimilated. 

5. Take a thorough tepid sponge-bath, fol- 
lowed by a dry-hand rub, three times a week. 
The whole body should be thoroughly rubbed 
with the dry hand each morning. 

6. Wear flannel the year round ; thick in win- 
ter, thin in summer. A silk under-suit is an ex- 
cellent protective. 

7. Avoid every form of cough sirup, balsam, 
cough mixtures, lozenges, expectorants, etc. , etc. , 
no matter how strongly recommended. Cod- 
liver oil, fat pork, bullock's blood, and similar 
remedies are as useless as absurd and disgusting. 



276 THE HOUSEHOLD 

Be sure to begin in season. A few months' 
delay has often sacrificed the last chance. 
' ' Throw physic to the dogs, " obey the laws of 
nature, and trust in nature's God. 

To Stop Hemorrhage from the Lungs. — 
Apply hot fomentations to the spine, to the back 
of the neck, and also between the shoulders. 
Apply cloths wrung out of cold water about the 
neck, and over the chest. If possible, have the 
patient inhale, with an atomizer, a one-per-cent 
solution of per-chloride of iron. 

The Proper Temperature of a Room. — 
For the majority of people, a temperature of yo° 
is necessary for health and comfort. Elderly 
people usually require a somewhat higher tem- 
perature. The temperature maintained in dwell- 
ing-houses and hospitals in England, we found to 
be about 6o° ; but this seemed to us too low, as 
we were never quite comfortable, and we found 
other persons, not natives of England, making 
the same complaint. A Scotch physician de- 
clared in our hearing, before a large audi- 
ence, that during a residence of twenty years in 
England, he had never once been warm. Never- 
theless, the generality of people born in that 
country, seem to require no higher tempera- 
ture. 

Crick in the Back. — This curious malady is 
sometimes relieved as quickly as produced, by 
relaxing the back by bending backward across 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 277 

a log or fence. Hot fomentations, with vigorous 
rubbing, usually give ready relief. 

Stitch in the Side. — Hot applications usu- 
ally give prompt relief. A tight flannel band- 
age should be worn about the trunk after the 
fomentation has been given. 

Lumbago. — Alternate hot and cold applica- 
tions, followed by thorough rubbing and percus- 
sion, are the best local applications. Rest in bed, 
systematic treatment, and attention to the gen- 
eral health, are also required in many cases. 

Hot Water for Torpid Livers. — Two Polish 
physicians have been making experiments for the 
purpose of ascertaining the effects of alkaline 
mineral waters upon the liver. Their results iiidi-" 
cate that alkaline waters increase the quantity" 
of bile when taken freely. These experiments' 
also included observations upon the effects of hot 
water upon the liver, the conclusion being that 
hot water possesses the same properties as alka- 
line waters. We have proved, in a large num- 
ber of cases, that the use of hot water is one of 
the most effective means of encouraging a torpid 
liver. When the liver is torpid, there is usually 
a red sediment in the urine. From six to eight 
glasses of hot water should be taken daily until 
the sediment disappears. 

Spring Biliousness. — Biliousness, so com- 
mon in the spring of the year as to have ac- 
quired the seasonable title, "spring sickness," 



278 THE HOUSEHOLD 

is a condition of the system in which there is 
too little bile produced, instead of too much. 
The waste elements, which ought to be removed 
from the blood by the liver in the form of bile, 
are left in the body, and accumulate in the tis- 
sues. It is this that gives the dingy color to the 
white of the eye, the dirty hue to the skin, and 
the coppery taste to the mouth, *and which pro- 
duces the giddiness, the floating specks before 
the eyes, and the general feeling of languor and 
discomfort which characterizes the condition com- 
monly known as biliousness. This dingy hue of 
the skin is actually due to the accumulation of 
waste matter, or organic dirt. The skin is dirty, 
perhaps not upon the surface, but all through its 
structure. Not only the skin, but the muscles 
are dirty ; the brain and nerves are dirty, and the 
whole body is clogged with dead and poisonous 
particles, which ought to have been promptly 
carried out of it, but have been retained on ac- 
count of the inefficient action of the liver. 

The causes of biliousness are various. One of 
the most frequent is overeating. If you press 
your fingers close up under the ribs on the right 
side of the body, you can feel the lower border of 
the liver about an inch above the lower edge of the 
last rib. If you do the same after having eaten 
a hearty meal, you will find the lower border 
of the liver half an inch farther down. This is 
due to the fact that the liver becomes enlarged 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 279 

through the absorption of digested food after a 
meal has been taken. If you eat a very large 
meal, say twice as much as you usually eat, 
and then feel for the lower border, you will find 
it reaching down to a level with the lowest rib, 
showing that the liver is very greatly enlarged, 
much more than it should be. If you go on 
eating too much in this way, day after day, 
week after week, after awhile the vessels of the 
liver will be so relaxed by frequent distension 
that the organ will grow permanently enlarged 
and congested. When in this condition, the 
liver cannot make bile readily, and so does not 
do the proper amount of work ; and the waste 
elements which it ought to remove from the 
body are left to accumulate in the tissues, and 
all the symptoms of biliousness follow. 

Biliousness is sometimes the result of eating 
too freely of fats. Animal fats being particu- 
larly difficult to digest, and likely to be taken 
in too large quantities, in the shape of butter, 
lard, suet, and fat meats, are apt to produce 
this condition. 

The excessive use of flesh food, also, renders 
the liver torpid, and produces biliousness. Flesh 
food generally consists of albumen, a nitroge- 
nous substance, which can be used in the body 
only in a very limited amount. The average 
person can use only three ounces of this kind 
of material each twenty-four hours. Now, if he 



280 THE HOUSEHOLD 

eats meat sufficient to supply four ounces of 
nitrogenous matter, the extra ounce must be 
carried off by the kidneys in the form of urea, 
or uric acid, and this must be acted upon by the 
Jiver, to prepare it for removal by the kidneys. 
If the liver has more of this work to do than it 
should have, the work will be imperfectly done, 
and much waste matter, which ought to be re- 
moved, will be left in the system, producing bil- 
iousness, rheumatism, muscular pains, sick head- 
aches, and many other uncomfortable symptoms. 
Persons suffering from these causes will often no- 
tice sediment in the urinary secretion. This is, 
in fact, one of the most common causes of the 
sediment, or deposit, ordinarily found in the 
urine. 

These facts respecting fats and flesh food ex- 
plain the reason why one loses his appetite for 
such substances, and craves fresh vegetables, 
acids, etc., in the spring of the year. The re- 
pugnance .to rich foods and flesh food, which 
nearly every person feels in the spring, is nat- 
ure's protest against the use of those articles at 
that season of the year. During the winter 
season, the extra supply of oxygen received in 
the condensed atmosphere enables the system 
to dispose of waste matters more readily than 
during the warm season ; and hence those sub- 
stances which tax the liver can be taken with 
greater impunity during cold months ; but when 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 28 1 

warm weather approaches, the accumulation soon 
becomes so great that nature makes a vigorous 
demand for a change of habits in the matter of 
diet. If her suggestion is not readily received 
and acted upon, she follows it up with a vigor- 
ous reminder in the shape of a ' ' bilious attack, " 
"spring sickness," a "gastric fever," an attack 
of 4 ' liver complaint, " diarrhea, or some other 
expression of her displeasure. 

Still another cause of biliousness, arising from 
torpidity or inactivity of the liver, is the use of 
condiments, — such substances as mustard, pep- 
per, pepper-sauce, ginger, Worcestershire sauce, 
vinegar, and other things which have an acrid 
or burning flavor. How any one could ever 
have learned to relish substances which burn 
and sting as they go down the throat, is one of 
the mysteries of dietetics which we have never 
been able to solve. Certain it is that a sub- 
stance which will raise a blister on the skin in 
fifteen minutes, as mustard or cayenne pepper 
will do, is capable of doing mischief on the in- 
side of the liver, when it gets there through ab- 
sorption from the stomach. If you put a little 
pepper in the eye, it makes the tears flow, and 
presently the eye becomes blood-shot. Mustard 
or pepper in the liver does not make it smart, 
since it has very few nerves of feeling ; but 
causes the blood-vessels to enlarge, and, prob- 
ably, at first increases the amount of bile pro- 



282 THE HOUSEHOLD 

duced ; but the effect of continued use is just 
the same as would be the effect upon the eye, 
if a little pepper were put into it every day. 
Such an eye would, after awhile, become so in- 
flamed that it would be blood-shot and con- 
gested all the time. So the liver, by the ha- 
bitual use of condiments, becomes permanently 
congested ; and a congested liver is a torpid 
liver, capable of making less bile than is nec- 
essary to maintain the system in a state of 
health. 

But there is still another cause of biliousness 
which is quite frequently overlooked. The liver 
needs oxygen to carry on its business of bile- 
making and sugar-making, and the various other 
kinds of work it has to do. The amount of oxy- 
gen in the blood depends upon the amount of 
air taken into the lungs. If a man stops breath- 
ing, he very quickly gets black in the face, be- 
cause the oxygen of the blood is consumed so 
rapidly that the blood quickly acquires the dark 
color it has when it contains little or no oxygen. 
If we exercise out-of-doors on a cold winter's 
day, we come in with cheeks and lips rosy with 
the glow of health, because they are filled with 
bright blood, rich in oxygen. When we sit 
quietly in-doors in heated rooms, and take lit- 
tle or no exercise out-of-doors, we do not ex- 
pand our lungs well, and consequently receive 
very little air into the blood, and the little we 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 283 

inhale is poor in oxygen. As the result, the 
whole body suffers for want of this life-giving 
element, the liver with the rest. Not be- 
ing able to make bile without oxygen, and its 
supply being insufficient, it makes too little bile, 
and allows the waste elements, which should have 
been removed through this channel, to accumu- 
late in the body. Thus a person becomes bil- 
ious from sedentary habits. 

We must not overlook the fact that the use 
of strong tea and coffee, and especially the use 
of tobacco and alcoholic drinks, are among the 
most ready means of producing biliousness. All 
smokers and drinkers are more or less bilious, 
and the tawny complexion of strong tea and 
coffee drinkers is undoubtedly due to the bad 
effect of these beverages upon the liver. 

The remedy for biliousness is plain enough, — 
Stop abusing your liver. Give it an easy time 
for a few weeks, and see what a wonderful 
change will occur in your feelings. Live sim- 
ply, bathe frequently, and take plenty of out- 
door exercise. The liver will go about its work 
in the most cheerful manner possible, if it has 
half a chance. 

Purifying the Blood. — It is a popular no- 
tion that the blood can be purified by swallow- 
ing some bitter stuff or nauseous medicine. Many 
years ago, Dr. Bacon announced the theory, 
that everybody should be bled in the spring, and 



284 THE HOUSEHOLD 

treated with purgatives, because the blood be- 
came so vile during the winter that it was nec- 
essary to purify it by emptying the blood-vessels. 
This was undoubtedly one way, and a robust 
person might suffer no real harm from the treat- 
ment ; but it would be very difficult for a feeble 
person to overcome the debility, and furnish a 
new supply of blood. The idea was good, but 
in such a radical change the process of cure was 
so effective that it many times killed the patient. 
' ' Cured to death, " might truthfully be written 
on a great many tombstones. 

The modern idea that the blood is to be puri- 
fied by antidotes, is wholly unphilosophical. It 
is absurd to think that you are going to make 
the blood pure by putting something impure into 
it. The best way is to set to work nature's five 
great purifiers, the lungs, skin, liver, kidneys, 
and bowels, — the five great excretory organs of 
the body. If a man's blood is impure, it is be- 
cause he has been taking something impure into 
it, or because he has not been using the excretory 
organs sufficiently to keep the impurities worked 
out. People who live grossly, eating flesh meats, 
pastry, etc. , and perhaps swallowing such things 
as tea and coffee, wine and beer, and maybe 
tobacco, are constantly overtaxing the excretory 
organs. Living a sedentary life is another way 
to encourage the deposit of impurities in the 
blood, there not being sufficient muscular ex- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 285 

ercise in such cases to assist in throwing off the 
waste particles of the body. 

To make the skin more active, take a hot bath 
once, twice, or three times a week. If vigorous, 
one can stand a Turkish or vapor bath every day 
for awhile. Do anything to induce a sweat ; 
drink hot water, and wrap up in warm blankets. 
A good vapor bath can be taken in any ordinary 
bath tub by putting a slat bottom in the tub, 
or a board with holes in it, so as to allow a 
space at the bottom of the tub which will be 
free for a running stream of hot water. Lie 
down on this slat bottom, cover the tub with 
heavy blankets, and you will have as good a 
vapor bath as need be given. A Swedish sham- 
poo, or a soap-and-water bath, or scouring the 
skin off with a brisk ' ' salt, glow, " — any or all of 
these ways are good for getting up a healthy 
action of the skin. 

Next, endeavor to make the lungs work so 
vigorously as to increase the supply of oxygen. 
A person walking at the rate of three miles an 
hour, breathes three times as much air as one 
who is sitting still ; and one walking at the rate 
of four miles an hour, breathes five times as 
much as one sitting still. When sitting, one 
only breathes about twenty cubic inches — about 
two thirds of a pint — at each inhalation, the fur- 
nace door of the body being almost closed ; but 
as just noted, even moderate walking triples the 



286 THE HOUSEHOLD 

capacity for taking in air. With every breath 
we throw off a certain amount of impurities ; at 
the four-miles-an-hour pace we may not throw 
off five times as much waste matter as when sit- 
ting still, but we will approximate that amount, 
perhaps about four times as much. Another 
advantage in deep breathing is, that the oxygen 
taken into the lungs goes into every nook and 
cranny, and gets alongside every nerve and fiber 
of the body — everywhere this clogging material 
is lodged, and carries it out. It is a great house 
cleaner ; it sweeps down the cobwebs, and shakes 
the curtains. That is why the skin looks clearer 
and fresher. Let a person whose skin is dingy, 
dirty, and sallow, go out of doors and take regu- 
lar and vigorous exercise. The fresh supply of 
oxygen thus gained will very soon tell upon the 
appearance of the skin. 

The liver may be set to work, and by the 
same means the bowels and the kidneys can be 
made more active, and that is by simply drink- 
ing large quantities of hot water. The old Ger- 
man water-cure doctors found this out almost 
a hundred years ago. Old Dr. Pressnitz, of 
Graefenberg, used to recommend from twelve 
to twenty glasses of water a day, to be taken 
in connection with mountain climbing. There 
were beautiful springs along the mountain side, 
and his patients, walking and climbing, would 
drink from six to twelve glasses before break- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 287 

fast, and the dose could be repeated two or 
three times in the course of the day. Water is 
the best means for cleansing the stomach, 
liver, and kidneys. Every part of the body is 
permeated and cleansed. When we take water 
into the stomach, it is absorbed ; and by the 
muscular action of the diaphragm, this pure 
water is drawn into the body, and in its removal 
carries impurities out. 

It is very interesting to notice how all these 
remedies co-operate ; — warm baths to make the 
skin active ; exercise to make the lungs more 
active ; and hot-water drinking to increase the 
activity of the kidneys, bowels, and liver. The 
warm baths take some of the fluids out of the 
blood. Persons may lose even two pounds — 
that means two pints of water — through the 
skin in a hot bath. This excretion carries with 
it a large quantity of impurities ; and this makes 
a person thirsty, and increases the amount of 
water-drinking, which supplies the water taken 
from the blood, while the water-drinking pro- 
motes the sweating, — action and reaction, con- 
stantly. By exercise the lungs are made to act 
more vigorously. This increases the action of 
the diaphragm, thus squeezing the liver and 
pressing the old bile out of it ; and this, again, 
augments the water-drinking. Again, exercise 
induces perspiration, and that, in turn, also in- 
creases the water-drinking. Each means helps 



288 THE HOUSEHOLD 

the others all the time, and in this way the 
blood is readily purified. 

Boils. — The application of heat and cold al- 
ternately will sometimes disperse a boil in the 
early stage. When it becomes painful, apply 
hot fomentations frequently, with the wet com- 
press during the intervals, or apply continuously 
a soft poultice. The wet compress covered with 
oil-silk has the same effect as the poultice. The 
kind of poultice is quite immaterial, if it be non- 
irritating, for its only valuable properties are 
warmth and moisture. 

When the boil is ripe, that is, when a little 
white vesicle appears near the surface, its cure 
may be hastened by lancing with a sharp knife. 
The discharge may be encouraged by gentle press- 
ure ; but squeezing boils is a very harmful proc- 
ess, and greatly retards their cure. If they do 
not discharge freely after opening, poultice or 
apply fomentations. Applications for the treat- 
ment of boils, to be effective, should be made 
to the surrounding tissues as well as to the boil 
itself. 

A carbuncle is simply a large boil. A sty is a 
small one upon the eyelid. Treatment for each 
is the same as for ordinary boils. 

It is a mistaken notion that the purulent mat- 
ters discharged from boils are concentrated im- 
purities which previously existed in the blood. 
The pus itself is made up of the white blood cor- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 289 

puscles, the most precious part of the blood. 
The discharge contains impurities, but most of 
them are the result of the death of the tissues 
which have suffered in the inflammation. It is yet 
an undeniable fact that many persons experience 
an improvement in health after having several' 
boils, whatever may be the explanation. The 
contents of a boil are very poisonous to the sys- 
tem when absorbed into the blood. Boils are 
probably due to germs. 

Ulcers. — Old ulcers on various parts of the 
body are frequently very offensive as well as pain- 
ful. To remove the odor emitted by the dis- 
charges, wash the ulcer thoroughly twice a day 
in a weak solution of carbolic acid or perman- 
ganate of potash. This application will also do 
something toward healing it, but water-dressing 
and a strict diet are the best remedial agents. 

Lice. — Animal parasites of various kinds which 
infest the body, abound only when their presence 
is encouraged by filth. They usually disappear 
very quickly when absolute cleanliness is pre- 
served. If they do not at once vanish, the ap- 
plication of an ointment made of one part of 
Scotch snuff to two of lard will speedily destroy 
them. This ointment is quite poisonous, and 
should be quickly removed after thorough appli- 
cation. 

A Simple Remedy for Hernia. — A child 
of three months old was suffering from umbilical 



29O THE HOUSEHOLD 

hernia, or protrusion from the navel. The truss 
which had been provided, produced so much irri- 
tation that it was necessary to remove it. The 
doctor improvised a remedy which worked ad- 
mirably, by taking one fourth of an ordinary skein 
of soft white yarn, and tying a knot in the mid- 
dle, and then tying the yarn about the body, 
placing the knot in such a position as to rest upon 
the protrusion. After wearing this simple appli- 
ance for two or three months, the child was en- 
tirely cured. 

Care of the Sick. — Every physician knows 
that in the majority of cases much more depends 
upon the care which the patient receives from 
his nurse, than from himself. A careless nurse 
has often turned the scale, which hung nearly 
evenly balanced between life and death, adverse 
to recovery. The following are some of the 
more essential matters which demand attention, 
though nothing can supply the native tact and 
grace which are necessary to make a good 
nurse : — 

1. Secure a constant supply of pure air from 
outdoors. It is not sufficient to open a door 
leading into another room. Cold air may be 
very impure. Be careful to exclude the air from 
the kitchen and wash-room as perfectly as pos- 
sible. 

2. Admit the light and sunshine freely. Direct 
sunlight is sometimes unpleasant to the patient ; 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 2QI 

if so, shade the windows with white curtains, 
which will admit the light. In a few diseases it 
may be necessary to keep the patient in a dark- 
ened room for a few days. 

3. Maintain an equable temperature. More 
fire is needed in the morning and evening than at 
noon. Regulate the heat by a thermometer 
hung near the bed. The mercury should never 
be above 70 . Old people especially need atten- 
tion in this particular. A fall of a few degrees 
in temperature is often fatal to them. Avoid 
draughts. 

4. The linen of the patient, and his bedding, 
should be changed every day at least. Daily wash- 
ing will not be demanded in all 'cases, but the 
clothing should hang for several hours near a 
heated stove to air and dry. 

5. Food for sick people should always be sim- 
ply and neatly prepared. Light food is usually 
the best. Condiments should be very sparingly 
added, if at all. Oatmeal gruel is one of the best 
articles of food for the sick. Fruit may be 
freely allowed if of good quality and ripe. Beef 
tea and broth will not sustain life. A dog starved 
sooner on a diet of beef tea than he would have 
done with nothing at all. Give food regularly, 
as in health ; continual dosing with milk or any 
other food is harmful. 

6. The patient himself should be kept scrupu- 
lously clean. The whole body should be washed 



292 THE HOUSEHOLD 

several times a week at least. The mouth and 
teeth should be daily cleansed. 

7. All discharges should be kept in covered 
vessels, and removed from the room at the 
earliest moment possible. 

8. The sick chamber should be made pleasant 
by tasteful arrangement of its furnishings, by 
flowers, simple pictures, etc. Frequent change 
in the aspect of the room is desirable. 

9. The patient should never be kept in a state 
of expectancy ; when a promise is made him, ful- 
fill it promptly. 

10. Whispering or low talking in the sick-room 
or adjoining rooms will arouse the patient's fears 
unnecessarily. Avoid it. 

1 1. Hasty movements in the sick-room are al- 
ways annoying to a patient. A calm, deliberate 
air on the part of the nurse inspires confi- 
dence. 

12. Arrangements for the night should be made 
before the patient becomes sleepy, so that he may 
not be disturbed. Otherwise, the movements 
necessary in making the needed preparations 
may cause him to become so restless that sleep 
will be impossible. 

13. All avoidable noises should be prevented. 
Creaking doors, squeaking boots or shoes, a swing- 
ing blind, or a flapping curtain, are intolerable to 
the sensitive ears of invalids. Coal should never 
be poured from the scuttle upon the fire. Bring 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 293 

it into the room in small parcels wrapped in damp 
paper. These can be laid upon the fire noise- 
lessly. 

14. If the patient can sleep, let him sleep. 
Never think of waking a sick person out of a 
sound sleep. Refreshing sleep will do him more 
good than all the medicines and baths in the 
world . 

15. The covering of the patient in bed should 
be several light, porous blankets, rather than one 
or two heavy ones. 

16. Strangers and visitors should be prohibited 
from entering the sick-room of a feeble patient. 
Visiting will often determine a fatal issue of the 
disease. 

1 7. Water kept in a sick-room should be often 
changed. Never drink that which has been in 
the room for more than a few minutes. 

18. Always wear a cheerful face. Do not 
look solemn and anxious, even though the case 
may be grave. 

19. Never annoy the patient by questions or 
too much conversation. 

20. Always recollect that nature must cure. 
All you can do is to make the conditions as favor- 
able as possible. 

The Treatment of Diphtheria. — As this 
grave disease prevails extensively at times, a few 
hints respecting its proper management will no 
•doubt be of interest : — - 



294 THE HOUSEHOLD 

1 . It must be remembered that diphtheria is a 
germ disease, i. e., it is due to the reception into 
the system of germs of a specific character. The 
gravity of the disease, in any particular case, 
depends upon the condition of the system of 
the patient when the germs are received, and 
upon the number and activity of the germs in- 
troduced. The disease seems to be closely allied 
to ordinary tonsilitis. Indeed, it seems hardly pos- 
sible to distinguish between a case of mild diph- 
theria and a case of tonsilitis. The theory is 
held by some eminent authors that there is really 
no difference between these two maladies, but 
that diphtheria, which in its most characteristic 
form presents, as one of its features, a peculiar 
membrane upon the diseased surface, is only a 
sore throat of unusual malignancy. There seems 
to be a close relation between this disease and 
erysipelas. Recent researches seem to show that 
diphtheria and croup are really one and the 
same disease. 

2. It is evident that in the treatment of this 
disease, agents capable of destroying germs, or 
of delaying their development, must be of serv- 
ice. The difficulty in the use of these agents 
is, that if employed in sufficient strength to de- 
stroy germs, they are injurious to the tissues. 
Spirits of turpentine is about the only exception 
to this rule, and on this account is an excellent 
agent in cases of this kind. It is best taken by 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 295 

means of the steam inhaler, and should be used 
regularly, several times a day, for at least five 
minutes, from the time the child is exposed to 
the disease. Use one half teaspoonful of tur- 
pentine in the outer cup of the steam inhaler, 
placing only water in the inner cup. The con- 
struction of the steam inhaler is shown in the 




accompanying cut. It can be obtained from the 
Sanitary Supply Co., Battle Creek, Mich., or can 
be made by any tinsmith. It will be well, also, 
to keep constantly evaporating upon the stove, 
or over a lamp in the sick-room, a half ounce of 
turpentine in a basin of water. As soon as the 
throat assumes a red, swollen appearance, and 
there is a decided rise of temperature, cold ap- 



296 THE HOUSEHOLD 

plications should be made to the throat and ton- 
sils by means of an ice-bag, or cloths wrung out 
of iced water, every hour. Once in two hours, 
fomentations should be applied to the throat, for 
fifteen minutes. If there is much pain, fomen- 
tations may be applied for ten minutes, hourly. 

If the inhalation of turpentine causes much 
coughing, and irritates the throat, the steam in- 
halation may be taken without it a part of the 
time. It should be used for five or ten minutes, 
every hour. When a different membrane makes 
its appearance, the same measures should be con- 
tinued assiduously, and the membrane should be 
painted, every half hour, with a solution of pap- 
ayotin, or vegetable pepsin. The following is a 
good formula: Papayotin, 75 grains; distilled 
water, 1 \ drams ; glycerine, 4 drams. Apply to 
the membranous patch with a camel's-hair brush. 
It is also well to apply to the throat, hourly, in 
the form of a spray, a solution of boracic acid, 
or chlorate of potash. In the case of adults, a 
saturated solution of chlorate of potash may be 
used ; for young children, the solution should be 
one fourth saturated. Boracic acid may be used, 
for both adults and children, in the saturated so- 
lution. It should be applied with an air atomizer. 

3. In favorable cases, the membrane disap- 
pears in two or three days, and sometimes in 
twelve or twenty-four hours. The separation of 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 297 

the membrane is favored by the inhalation of 
steam. The use of the steam atomizer is ex- 
ceedingly valuable for this purpose. 

4. The general treatment of these cases is of 
even greater service than local treatment. The 
thing of first importance is the administration 
of water in large quantities. A child should 
be made to swallow a half glass of water 
every hour. Older persons may take a glass- 
ful hourly. Induce the patient to take the 
water hot, if possible, or at least warm, 
as this favors perspiration, which is impor- 
tant in this disease. If the child cannot drink 
a sufficient quantity of water, which should be 
not less than two quarts in the twenty-four 
hours, water must be administered by enema. 
In all cases, a large enema should be admin- 
istered daily, to move the bowels ; and where 
it is necessary, warm water may be introduced 
into the rectum several times a day, and al- 
lowed to remain. Perspiration should also be 
encouraged by a blanket pack, which should 
be administered twice a day during the first few 
days of the disease. This consists of wrapping 
the patient in a blanket wrung out of warm 
water. He should be kept in the pack from 
twenty to forty minutes, or until profuse per- 
spiration is induced. After the pack, wrap him 
in a warm blanket to prevent his taking cold, and 



298 THE HOUSEHOLD 

to favor the continuance of perspiration to a 
moderate degree. The blanket pack relieves 
restlessness, lessens fever, and improves all the 
symptoms, besides aiding the separation of the 
membrane. Frequently children sick with this 
disease, with a temperature up to nearly 104^°, 
and in a state of almost complete collapse, have 
been brought back to consciousness, and so 
greatly improved in every particular within the 
short space of two hours, by the aid of the 
blanket pack, that the change seemed to be 
scarcely less than miraculous. In twenty-four 
hours patients will often be convalescent and 
make an excellent recovery. 

5. It is most important that food should be 
administered in sufficient quantities to main- 
tain strength. It should be light, consisting 
of fruit juices, gruels, milk, milk toast, boiled 
rice, and similar foods, excluding meats of all 
kinds, pastry, and everything difficult of diges- 
tion. If the child is unable to swallow, nutritive 
enemata of peptonized beef may be used ad- 
vantageously. 

Of course it is understood that cases of this 
disease are so grave that no person not medically 
educated should undertake the management of 
a case without the advice of a physician ; but 
we feel sure that no intelligent physician would 
object to the measures here outlined. Copious 
water-drinking, and the use of the blanket pack, 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 299 

we consider among the most important remedies. 
If to these be added the application of heat and 
cold to the throat, this short category will in- 
clude the most valuable remedies for use in this 
disease. 

Disinfection after Diphtheria and Scar- 
let Fever. — Through the active efforts of State 
Boards of Health, it is probably pretty gener- 
ally known to the public that the above-named 
diseases, as well as all other contagious diseases, 
leave behind them an invisible something by 
which well persons may be infected, even after 
the lapse of a considerable period of time. It is, 
on this account, of the utmost importance that 
proper measures should be taken for the com- 
plete destruction of the germs by which these 
maladies are propagated and communicated. 
Disinfection is the only means by which this can 
be done. Ordinary scrubbing, whitewashing, 
and ventilation are useful, but are not sufficient. 
One of the most convenient and effective means 
of purification or disinfection is fumigation by 
the burning of common sulphur. The following 
is the best method of doing this : — 

Into a tub or a large dish-pan pour water to the 
depth of an inch. Place in the vessel two bricks 
laid flatwise and near together. Set upon the bricks 
an old iron kettle. Put into the kettle a proper 
quantity of flour of sulphur mixed with an equal 
quantity of pounded charcoal. The quantity re- 



300 THE HOUSEHOLD 

quired is two pounds for each one thousand cu- 
bic feet of air. Mix with the sulphur and char- 
coal a few pieces of newspaper. Before the 
sulphur is lighted, all clothing and other articles 
in the room should be so disposed as to allow 
the fumes of the sulphur to come in contact 
with them to the fullest extent. The efficiency 
of the fumigation is also very greatly increased 
by saturating the walls, and everything the room 
contains, with steam. This may be very readily 
done by boiling water vigorously upon a stove 
in the room for an hour or two previous to light- 
ing the sulphur. Dry sulphur fumes will destroy 
growing germs, but not the dried spores which 
may be collected upon walls and in cracks and 
corners. When all is in readiness, light the sul- 
phur, and leave the room as soon as it is evident 
that it is going to burn well. If the door of the 
room communicates with other rooms, the crack 
around the door must be tightly closed by past- 
ing thick paper over it. The room must be kept 
closed for twenty-four hours, at the end of which 
time it should be opened and left to air for an- 
other twenty-four hours, when it may be consid- 
ered thoroughly disinfected. 

Combating Germs in the Sick-Room. — 
The part played by germs in the causation of 
many diseases, is now so well understood that 
it is not necessary to call attention to evidence 
bearing upon this important fact ; but informa- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 30I 

tion respecting methods of combating germs is 
always of the greatest practical importance. ( 
We wish here to call attention to the im- 
portance of taking measures for the destruction 
of germs during the course of a contagious dis- 
ease. 

It is generally supposed that when a person 
has once been infected by a disease, he is in- 
fected as much as possible, and it is of no use 
to take further precautions against infection or 
contagion ; but the frequent occurrence of re- 
lapses in persons who have almost recovered 
from a contagious malady, as diphtheria or ty- 
phoid fever, points clearly to the conclusion 
that a patient may be re-infected in some way. 
Common sense suggests that a patient suffering 
from scarlet fever or diphtheria, must be infect- 
ing himself continually by breathing contam- 
inated air. It has been observed for many 
years, and by the most eminent physicians, es- 
pecially military physicians, that persons suffer- 
ing from contagious diseases recover much more 
surely and rapidly when treated in an open shed 
or tent, even when suffering many disadvan- 
tages, than in the best-constructed and most 
perfectly appointed hospitals. The reason for 
this is obvious. The air of an open tent or 
shed is changed so frequently that there is no 
accumulation of the poisons which are thrown 
off from the lungs and the skin of the patient, 



3©2 THE HOUSEHOLD 

and hence the air is practically free from con- 
tamination. 

Recognizing this fact, physicians and nurses 
have undertaken to purify the air of sick-rooms 
by various means. Good ventilation has been 
proved to be of the greatest value as a means 
of dispersing the germs ; but no value whatever 
attaches to the use of disinfectants in the room 
with a patient, such as chloride of lime scattered 
about, carbolic acid evaporating in a basin of 
warm water, the burning of disinfectant pastiles^ 
etc. It is possible, however, to do much in the 
direction of destroying germs in the sick-room, 
and thus supplying the patient with air of greater 
purity, and hence with a better opportunity for 
recovery. Two rooms should be devoted to the 
patient. They should be near together, and 
should both be accessible from the hall or a 
communicating room, so that each can be used 
independently of the other. These rooms should 
be used on alternate days. On leaving the sick- 
room which has been occupied last, in the morn- 
ing burn in it a quantity of sulphur, as directed 
in another article on disinfection after diph- 
theria and scarlet fever. Open the room at 
night, and air thoroughly by opening windows 
as wide as possible. In the morning, trans- 
fer the patient to the disinfected room, and pro- 
ceed to disinfect the other room in the same 
manner. This method of disinfecting sick-rooms 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 303 

is the only one which is of any value, and it has 
been tried in whooping-cough, with the result of 
greatly shortening the course of the disease. It 
is reasonable to suppose that it will prove equally 
effective in other contagious maladies also, if 
faithfully employed. The only objection is the 
amount of labor which it involves, but this is 
small compared with the labor saved by shorten- 
ing the period of illness, and the suffering spared 
the patient thereby. 

How to Destroy Typhoid Germs. — Ty- 
phoid fever is usually communicated through 
the discharges of typhoid-fever patients. The 
germs of the disease find their way to wells, 
water courses, and other sources of water sup- 
ply, and thus other persons become infected. 
This means of spreading the disease would be 
wholly checked if the discharges of every ty- 
phoid-fever patient were properly and thoroughly 
disinfected. A saturated solution of copperas or 
sulphate of zinc will probably destroy the germs 
of typhoid, but there are other more positive 
means of disinfection. We will mention two 
as among the most valuable : — 

A solution of two drams of corrosive sublimate 
to the gallon of water, will destroy all known 
germs. The objection to this disinfectant is that 
it is so poisonous that any one is likely to be 
killed by accidentally swallowing even a very 
small portion of the solution. 



304 THE HOUSEHOLD 

Another and perfectly safe method, which by 
recent experiments has been shown to be thor- 
oughly effective, is the application of boiling 
water to the infectious discharges. Careful ex- 
periments show that the addition to the infec- 
tious material of four times its volume of boiling 
water, will effectually destroy the typhoid germs. 

Cleansing Sick-Rooms. — A room which has 
been long occupied by a person suffering from 
chronic disease, or by a fever patient, or a case 
of smallpox or other contagious disease, ought 
to be very thoroughly cleansed before being oc- 
cupied by others. The means by which this 
may be most efficiently done are these : — 

i. Take out the windows, and give the great- 
est possible freedom to ventilation. 

2. Remove the old paper from the walls, and 
burn it. Wash the bare walls with a solution of 
copperas, and then apply whitewash to the ceil- 
ing. Cleanse the woodwork with a solution of 
chloride of lime. 

3. Remove the carpet from the floor, the bed- 
ding from the bed, and every other fabric from 
the room, and thoroughly disinfect them before 
replacing. 

4. The most thorough and simple method of 
disinfecting a sick-room is that given under the 
head, ' ' Disinfection after Diphtheria and Scar- 
let Fever." 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 305 

Disinfecting Clothing. — Clothing which has 
been exposed to contamination by contagion, if 
of little value, should be destroyed. If more 
valuable, it may be disinfected in any one of sev- 
eral ways : — 

1. Heat in an oven as hot as possible without 
scorching, for an hour or two. A temperature of 
250 will do no harm. 

2. If the clothing is uncolored, or colored with 
mineral dyes, soak a few minutes in a solution 
of fresh chloride of lime of the strength of one 
pound of the chloride to a pailful of water. 
Afterward boil. 

3. Soak for half an hour in boiling water to 
which carbolic acid has been added in proportion 
of an ounce to the gallon of water. Boil again 
in pure soft water, to remove the smell of the 
acid. 

4. Expose for several hours, in a close box, to 
the fumes of burning sulphur. Air thoroughly 
afterward, and wash. 

Multiplication of Microbes. — Prof. Buck- 
ner, of Germany, has been studying the rate 
at which germs multiply, and has shown that the 
time usually required for one microbe, or germ, 
to become two, by the process of division, is fif- 
teen minutes. At this rate a single microbe would 
produce in twenty-four hours a million million 
times the present population of the globe. 



306 THE HOUSEHOLD 

The Absolute Proofs of Death — are eleven 
in number : — 

Cessation of Respiration Test. — The first of 
these signs of death, — the cessation of the in- 
dication of the respiratory function, — although 
useful in a general sense, is not by any means 
reliable. The old breath test — 

" If that a feather move across the breath, 
Then life remains " — 

is too fallacious to be of real service, as is also 
the common mirror-test, a passive exhalation 
of water being quite sufficient to produce a de- 
posit of moisture upon the bright reflector, even 
when life may be quite extinct. 

Cardiac and Arterial Failure Test. — Of the 
two signs — the pulse and the sounds of the heart 
— the pulse is the more important. 

Venous Turgescence Test. — The vein-press- 
ure proof must be considered one of the very best 
and readiest of all. It is carried out by placing a 
hard substance, like a bit of mill-board, on the 
forepart of the wrist, so as to prevent pressure 
on the radial and ulnar arteries ; then a fillet is 
tied firmly around the wrist, so as to compress 
the veins at the back of the hand. If, upon this, 
the veins after a time fail to enlarge, there is 
prima facie evidence that no circulation is going 
on, and that life is certainly extinct. While this 
test alone is not sufficient to disprove the fact of 
life, it is the one least likely of all to deceive. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. $°7 

Reduction of Temperature Test. — Reduction of 
the temperature of the body below the natural 
standard is a good test, but it is one that must 
be used judiciously. A reduction of a few de- 
grees is not sufficient, since recovery after seven 
degrees of reduction has been known to take 
place. But if the temperature of the body 
found in the cavities, like the mouth, is below 
the temperature of the surrounding air, or if it 
even be reduced to 8o°, the evidence is strong 
that life does not remain. 

Rigor Mortis Test. — The existence of well- 
marked rigor mortis is one of the most certain 
proofs of absolute death. 

Coagulation of Blood Test. — The condition of 
the blood in the veins, whether it be coagulated 
or not, is a most important matter. The act 
of coagulation is practically the same as that of 
rigor mortis, and when the two signs are present 
together, there can be no doubt of the fact of 
death. 

Putrefactive Decomposition Test. — Of putre- 
factive decomposition as proof of death, little 
doubt is ever entertained ; but while in its slight- 
est development it cannot be accepted as con- 
clusive, there are certain decompositions that 
are definite. Whenever decomposition of the 
eyeball is pronounced, with shrinking of the 
ball and opacity of the cornea, it may be con- 
sidered convincing proof of death. 



308 THE HOUSEHOLD 

Strong Light Test. — The test made with 
strong light, in order to ascertain if in semi- 
transparent parts, like the hands, there is still 
redness of tint, is of secondary importance. 

Electric Stimulus Test. — Considerable impor- 
tance should be attached to the excitation of 
muscular contraction under electric stimulus. 
It is a test which is often urgently called for, 
and it has its own value. A small battery for 
the Faradic current, a couple of long needles 
to attach to the electrodes, and two sponges 
are required. The muscles of the forearm are 
most convenient for testing, the needles being 
pressed deep into the muscles. 

The Ammonia Test. — The hypodermic am- 
monia test, suggested by Montiverdi, is of great 
importance. It is merely necessary in carry- 
ing it out, to inject thirty minims of ammo- 
nia solution, of sp. gr. 89 1°, under the skin. 
If there still be a circulation through the part 
receiving the ammonia, there will be a reaction 
in the form of a blotch of a red erythematous 
color, wine red, with raised spots on the sur- 
face. If death has taken place, instead of a red 
blotch there will be a blotch of a dirty skin color, 
without a trace of red spots, which Montiverdi 
affirms is the only criterion of actual death known 
at the present time. 

The Bright Steel Test. — The oxidation, or 
bright steel, test of Cloquet and Laborde, has 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 309 

the advantage of being simple and physiological, 
and may be used as corroborative of other tests, 
if nothing more. A bright steel needle may be 
thrust into a muscle, left there in position a 
short time, then removed and put in a dry place. 
If it remains bright, it has plainly pierced a dead 
tissue. From the nature of the circumstances, 
the time for this test must be limited to a very 
short period after the supposed death. 



Hydropathic Appliances. 

Water, applied in the various modes in which 
it may be, is one of the most potent of remedies ; 
wrongly applied, it may be productive of great 
harm. The following are a few general rules 
which should always govern its use : — 

i. Never bathe when exhausted or within three 
hours after eating, unless the bath be confined to 
a very small portion of the body. 

2. Never bathe when cooling off after profuse 
sweating, as reaction will then often be deficient. 

3. Always wet the head before taking any form 
of bath, to prevent determination of blood to the 
head. 

4. If the bath be a warm one, always conclude 
it with an application of water which is a few de- 
grees cooler than the bodily temperature. 

5. Be careful to thoroughly dry the patient 
after his bath, rubbing vigorously to prevent 
chilling. 

6. The most favorable time for taking a bath is 
between the hours of ten and twelve in the fore- 
noon. 

7. The temperature of the room should be 
about 8o° or 85 . 

8. Baths should usually be of that temperature 



THE HOUSEHOLD MONITOR. 311 

most agreeable to the patient. Cold baths a/e 
seldom required. Too much hot bathing is de- 
bilitating. 

The following are brief descriptions of the more 
important baths applicable in the home treatment 
of disease : — 

Sponge Bath. — This bath consists in rubbing 
the whole body with a sponge or towel wet in water 
of an agreeable temperature ; it is most useful for 
a general ablution. 

Sitz Bath. — A tub made especially for the pur- 
pose, or a common wash-tub, may be employed. 
Place in the vessel sufficient water to cover the 
hips and lower part of the abdomen. During the 
bath, the patient or an attendant should rub and 
knead the abdomen. The water should be of a 
temperature ranging from 85 to 98 , according 
to the condition of the patient. Cover the pa- 
tient during the bath. 

Wet-Sheet Pack. — Spread two or three com- 
fortables upon a bed or mattress, and place over 
the whole a woolen sheet. Wring out of water 
of the desired temperature a linen or cotton sheet. 
Spread it upon the bed, and let the patient immedi- 
ately lie down in the middle. Then quickly envelop 
him in the wet sheet, wrapping him snugly from 
head to foot. Then cover him with the comforta- 
bles, and let him remain quiet as long as required. 
Elevate the head a little, and use care to have 
the feet warm. Half-packs may be taken in a 



3 12 THE HOUSEHOLD 

similar manner, confining the application to the 
trunk of the body. 

Fomentations. — Wring out of water as hot 
as can well be borne, a folded flannel cloth, 
and apply it quickly to the part to be treated. 
Cover with a dry cloth, and change once in five 
minutes. 

Pail-Douche. — This consists in pouring water 
from a pail over the shoulders of the patient. It 
is often employed to tone up the surface after a 
hot bath. 

Chest- Wrapper.— The wrapper should be 
made of coarse cloth, shaped so as to fit the chest. 
Apply it after wringing just sufficiently to prevent 
dripping. Cover with a light, dry flannel wrap- 
per. Change three or four times a day. 

Half-Bath. — For this bath is required a vessel 
of sufficient size to allow the patient to sit up- 
right, with his limbs extended. Enough water 
to cover the limbs, thighs, and lower part of the 
abdomen, is necessary. During the bath, the 
attendant should vigorously rub the limbs, back, 
chest, and abdomen of the patient. 

Compresses. — Apply wet cloths in the same 
manner as in fomentations, wetting them in either 
cold, cool, or tepid water, according to the effect 
desired. 

Rubbing-Wet- Sheet.— This bath consists 
in enveloping the patient in a wet sheet, and rub- 
bing him briskly with the hand outside the sheet. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 313 

Hot Applications. — Besides fomentations, 
heat may be applied in several other ways. Bot- 
tles filled with hot water, hot bricks or stones 
wrapped in papers or cloths, hot cloths, bags 
filled with hot sand, salt, or cornmeal, and rub- 
ber bags filled with hot water, are convenient 
methods of applying dry heat. 

Moisture and heat may be applied in a variety 
of ways also. Instead of wringing cloths out of 
hot water, put them into a steamer for a few min- 
utes. This saves the trouble of wringing them. 
When there is no water hot, and a fomentation 
is wanted quickly, wring a cloth out of cold water, 
spread it between the folds of a newspaper, and 
lay the paper upon the top of the stove, or press 
it against the side. In a minute it will be hot. 
Wrap stones or bricks in a moist cloth. Poul- 
tices of various sorts answer the same purpose. 

All hot applications should be renewed every 
few minutes until the desired effect is obtained. 

Vapor Bath. — Place the patient in a chair 
which has a wooden bottom, beneath which place 
a pail half filled with water. Surround the pa- 
tient completely, chair and all, with a woolen 
blanket, leaving only his head visible ; even this 
may be covered a little while at a time in cases 
of neuralgia, if desired. Add other blankets suffi- 
cient for warmth. Now raise the blankets a lit- 
tle, behind, and place in the pail a stone or brick 
which has been heated sufficiently hot to hiss 



314 THE HOUSEHOLD 

when it touches the water. Do not drop it into 
the water at once, but let it down gradually. 
When this becomes cool, add another in the 
same way. The bath should not usually be con- 
tinued more than twenty minutes. Upon com- 
ing out of the bath, wash off quickly with tepid 
water. The head should be wet from the first. 

Hot- Air Bath. — Prepare the patient in the 
same manner as directed for the vapor bath. In- 
stead of the pail of water, place beneath the chair 
a cup containing a small quantity of alcohol. 
Wet the head well, and then light the alcohol. 
Wash with tepid water after the bath, and be care- 
ful to avoid taking cold. 

Hot-Water Drinking. — From careful obser- 
vation for a number of years, we are satisfied that 
many people drink too little. Copious water-drink- 
ing is one of the best possible means of encour- 
aging the action of the liver, kidneys, skin, and 
bowels. Invalids with weak digestion suffer dis- 
comfort from drinking cold water copiously, on 
account of the depressing influence of cold upon 
the functions of the stomach. Hot water, how- 
ever, is not open to this objection, and hence is 
to be recommended to invalids, especially to those 
suffering with almost any form of disease of the 
stomach, liver, skin, or kidneys. Water is the 
universal cleansing agent ; and water-drinking is 
one of the most effective means of cleansing 
the blood. When taken hot, it stimulates the 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 315 

action of the stomach and bowels, promotes the 
secretion of bile, encourages the action of the kid- 
neys, relieves dryness of the throat, and secures 
a healthy activity of the skin. Hence it is par- 
ticularly valuable for dyspeptics, especially those 
suffering with acidity, and for persons suffering 
with torpid liver and inactive kidneys. 

Hot water, as well as other drinks, should be 
sparingly used, if used at all, at meals. When 
the digestion is very slow, a few sips of hot water 
at the close of the meal will be found a useful aid 
to digestion ; but hot milk may generally be sub- 
stituted with advantage. The best time for tak- 
ing hot water is one hour before the meal, and 
just before retiring at night. One or two glasses 
may be taken at a time. The temperature should 
be from 105 to no° F. 

Hot water is not a panacea, and is not best 
for everybody. Persons suffering with painful 
dyspepsia, ulcer of the stomach, and organic 
disease of the heart, should not take it. 

Enemas. — An enema is a small portion of 
water thrown into the rectum by means of a syr- 
inge. The water may be either cool, tepid, or 
warm, as occasion may require. 

The Colo-Clyster. — The enema taken in the 
ordinary way empties the lower bowel, but fre- 
quently does nothing more than this. In order 
to wash out the colon thoroughly, it is necessary 
that a large quantity of water should be admin- 



3l6 THE HOUSEHOLD MONITOR. 

istered, from three to four quarts, according to 
the size of the patient. Have the patient lie 
on his right side, with the knees drawn up. The 
water introduced will find its way readily into 
the transverse and ascending colon. A still 
more effective means is to place the patient in 
what is known as the knee-chest position. In 
taking this position, the patient first kneels upon 
the bed or couch, and then bends the trunk for- 
ward so that the head and chest rest upon the 
couch, the thighs being vertical. 

Dr. Hall and a number of other charlatans 
have for some years been imposing upon the 
public by selling as a " secret " the idea that 
the bowels may be made to hold from one to 
four quarts of water, and that water may be 
usefully employed in this way. We have thor- 
oughly exposed this fraud in the chapter de~ 
voted to medical frauds. 

Inunction. — Pure olive oil or fresh butter 
may be used ; but vaseline, a fine unguent which 
can be procured of the druggist, is the best. After 
giving the patient a short bath of some kind, to 
cleanse the skin, dry him carefully, and then ap- 
ply with the hand a very small quantity of the oil 
or unguent. Rub in very thoroughly, with much 
kneading and friction. Conclude by carefully 
wiping the skin with a soft flannel, to remove all 
superfluous oil. 



Accidents and Emergencies. 



The injuries resulting from accidents, usually 
demand instantaneous action. A little delay or 
confusion, or misdirected effort, in a case of se- 
vere burning, drowning, or hemorrhage, will 
often sacrifice a human life. The following sim- 
ple directions should be carefully studied, so that 
they can readily be made available at any mo- 
ment : — 

Drowning and Suffocation. — The chief rem- 
edy to be used in all cases is artificial respira- 
tion. There are several methods which are very 
serviceable. The following, which is the most 
approved method for restoring drowned persons, 
we copy from a publication issued by the Michi- 
gan State Board of Health, the Secretary of 
which, Dr. H. B. Baker, has kindly furnished us 
with cuts for illustration : — 

Treatment of the Drowned. — "Two things 
to be done: i. Restore breathing; 2. Restore 
animal heat. 

"Rule i. — Remove all obstructions to breath- 
ing. Instantly loosen or cut apart all neck and 
waist bands ; turn the patient on his face, with 
the head down hill ; stand astride the hips with 
your face toward his head, and locking your fin- 



3l8 THE HOUSEHOLD 

gers together under his belly, raise the body as 
high as you can without lifting the forehead off 
the ground (Fig. I.), and give the body a smart 
jerk to remove mucus from the throat and water 
from the windpipe ; hold the body suspended 
long enough to slowly count one, two, three, four, 
jive, repeating the jerk more gently two or three 
times. 




"Rule 2. — Place the patient on the ground, 
face downward, and, maintaining all the while 
your position astride the body, grasp the points 
of the shoulders by the clothing, or, if the body 
is naked, thrust your fingers into the armpits, 
clasping your thumbs over the points of the 
shoulders, and raise the chest as high as you can 
(Fig. 2) without lifting the head quite off the 
ground, and hold it long enough to slowly count 
one, two, three. Replace him on the ground, 
with his forehead on his flexed arm, the neck 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 



319 



straightened out, and the mouth and nose free. 
Place your elbows against your knees, and your 




hands upon the sides of his chest (Fig. 3) over 
the lower ribs, and press dozunward and inward 
with increasing force long enough to slowly count 




one, two. Then suddenly let go, grasp the shoul- 
ders as before, and raise the chest (Fig. 2) ; then 



320 THE HOUSEHOLD 

press upon the ribs, etc. (Fig. 3). These alter- 
nate movements should be repeated from ten to 
fifteen times a minute, for an hour at least, unless 
breathing is restored sooner. Use the same reg- 
ularity as in natural breathing. 

'Rule 3. — After breathing has commenced, 
restore the animal heat. Wrap him in warm 
blankets, apply bottles of hot water, hot bricks, 
or anything to restore heat. Warm the head 
nearly as fast as the body, lest convulsions come 
on. Rubbing the body with warm cloths or the 
hand, and slapping the fleshy parts may assist to 
restore warmth, and the breathing also. If the 
patient can surely swallow, give hot coffee, tea, 
milk, or a little hot sling. Give spirits sparingly, 
lest they produce depression. Place the patient 
in a warm bed, and give him plenty of fresh air ; 
keep him quiet. 

"Avoid delay. A moment may turn the scale 
for life or death. Dry ground, shelter, warmth, 
stimulants, etc. , at this moment are nothing, — 
artificial breathing is everything — is the one 
remedy, all others are secondary. 

' ' Do not stop to remove wet clothing before ef- 
forts are made to restore breathing. Precious 
time is wasted, and the patient may be fatally 
chilled by exposure of the naked body, even in 
summer. Give all your attention and effort to 
restore breathing by forcing air into, and out of, 
the lungs. If the breathing has just ceased, a 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 32 I 

smart slap on the face, or a vigorous twist of the 
hair will sometimes start it again, and may be 
tried incidentally, as may, also, pressing the fin- 
ger on the root of the tongue. 

' ' Before natural breathing is fully restored, do 
not let the patient lie on his back unless some 
person holds the tongue forward. The tongue, 
by falling back, may close the windpipe, and 
cause fatal choking. 

- ' If several persons are present, one may hold 
the head steady, keeping the neck nearly straight ; 
others may remove wet clothing, replacing at 
once with that which is dry and warm ; they 
may also chafe the limbs, and thus promote the 
circulation. 

' ' Prevent friends from crowding around the 
patient and excluding fresh air ; also from try- 
ing to give stimulants before the patient can 
swallow. The first causes suffocation ; the sec- 
ond, fatal choking. 

Do not give up too soon. You are working 
fof life. Any time within two hours you may be 
on the very threshold of success without there 
being any sign of it." 

Marshall Hall's Ready Method. — This fa- 
mous method consists, briefly, in laying the pa- 
tient with his face downward, his arms folded 
beneath his forehead, and then slowly rolling 
him upon his side, restoring riim again to his 
former position. By this means, the chest is. 



32 2 THE HOUSEHOLD 

alternately compressed and expanded, thus imi- 
tating the movements of respiration. This 
method has been variously modified. 

Sylvester's Method. — This method, which 
has been proposed more recently, is highly rec- 
ommended by many physicians. Raise the arms 
from the sides until they meet above the head ; 
then bring them slowly back to the sides again, 
pressing them against the sides of the chest. 
Repeat this sixteen or eighteen times a minute. 
It is a very efficient means when skillfully ap- 
plied. 

Upon submersion in the water, the epiglottis, 
a little valve at the top of the windpipe, closes, 
shutting out the water from the lungs. After a 
time, the muscles relax, and the valve opens. 
Water then enters the lungs. After this occurs, 
there is no longer any possible chance for recov- 
ery ; but as there is no ready means for deter- 
mining accurately the condition of the lungs, 
every effort should be made to resuscitate the 
patient by the means already described. The 
length of time a person can live under water, 
will depend very much on the amount of pure 
air in his lungs at the time of submergence. 

Poisonous Gases. — Carbonic acid (more 
properly, carbon dioxide) is the most common 
cause of suffocation. Chlorine gas, illuminating 
gas, the vapor of burning sulphur, ether, and 
nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, with other poison- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 323 

ous gases, produce death in the same way, though 
some of them are active irritants in addition. 

Carbonic-acid gas is heavier than air, and in 
consequence, it accumulates in old wells, caves, 
deep valleys, and other low places. It is formed 
in mines in large quantities, at times, and is known 
to miners as "choke-damp." It is also formed 
in the vats of breweries, by fermentation. In the 
burning of limestone, also, it is produced in enor- 
mous quantities. When the kilns are opened, it 
sometimes pours out so rapidly as to suffocate 
the workmen before they can escape. Miners 
are often destroyed by a sudden gust of ' ' choke- 
damp." 

Old wells should never be entered without first 
testing the air at the bottom. Do this by lower- 
ing a burning candle. If it is extinguished, or 
burns feebly, carbonic acid is present, and de- 
scent would be extremely perilous. If it burns 
brightly, no fears need be entertained. If gas 
is found to be present, it can be dislodged by 
throwing into the well burning fagots or paper. 
Old cellars and cisterns are sometimes danger- 
ous on the same account ; they may be tested in 
the same way. 

Upon the inhalation of the first breath of car- 
bonic acid, the person usually falls, and thus re- 
mains exposed to the poisonous effects of the gas. 
Under such circumstances, speedy and well-di- 
rected efforts are necessary to prevent death. 



324 THE HOUSEHOLD 

In a burning building, the purest air is near 
the floor, as the smoke containing the carbonic 
acid is hotter than the air when first formed, and 
rises. In escaping from a burning building, it is 
sometimes advantageous to go upon all fours so 
as to breathe the best air. 

Charcoal burning in a room in an open vessel, 
will produce large quantities of carbonic-acid gas 
in a short time. In France, suicide is often com- 
mitted by this means. 

Illuminating Gas often escapes into sleep- 
ing-rooms through leakage of the gas pipes, or 
by reason of failure completely to shut off the 
supply to the burner upon extinguishing the 
flame. 

People unaccustomed to the use of gas are 
sometimes so thoughtless as to blow out the 
flame as they would that of a lamp or candle, 
leaving the gas to find unobstructed egress. 
Many lives have been lost in this way. 

Hanging is another means by which the sup- 
ply of air to the lungs is cut off, causing asphyxia. 
A red line around the neck is usually indicative 
of this manner of producing suffocation. 

The remedies in all cases of suffocation are es- 
sentially the same. Remove the patient from 
the cause, or vice versa, as quickly as possible. 
Draw the tongue forward, clear the mouth, dash 
cold water upon the face and chest, rub the body 
vigorously, and apply artificial respiration. If 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 325 

•chlorine has been accidentally breathed, inhale, 
as quickly as possible, ammonia gas. 

Choking. — When a particle of food, or any 
other body, becomes lodged in the throat, go 
upon all fours, and cough. If it is not expelled, 
the patient should be seized by the heels and 
suspended head downward, while his back is per- 
cussed by another person. If the body can be 
seen by drawing the tongue well forward, seize 
it with a pair of forceps, or a hook made by 
bending the end of a wire or a hair-pin which 
has been straightened. Sometimes it may be 
elevated from its position by means of a spoon 
handle. If it is out of sight, and all efforts to 
expel it are unavailing, press it down with the 
ringer or a smooth rod with a rounded end, 
throwing the head back as far as possible while 
doing so. A body which has lodged part way 
down the esophagus, may sometimes be pressed 
down into the stomach by pressing hard upon 
each side of the neck close to the windpipe. 

Lightning Stroke. — Dr. Fothergill remarks 
as follows on this subject : — 

"Persons struck by lightning are not always 
dead when they appear to be so. There are few 
recoveries from this state, because no means are 
tried to restore the sufferer. In the tropics there 
are many instances in which persons struck 
down by lightning have recovered after a heavy 
thunder shower ; and it would appear that cold 



326 THE HOUSEHOLD 

affusion to the body has a decided action in such 
cases. The injured cannot be harmed by the 
free use of cold water ; and if only an occasional 
recovery took place, it would be well worth the 
pains bestowed. The persons so injured should 
have cold water poured or even dashed freely 
over them." 

Artificial respiration should also be employed. 

Sun-Stroke. — Carry the patient at once to a 
cool, shady place ; remove his clothing, and dash 
cold water upon his body, especially the head 
and chest. Rubbing the spine with ice is an 
excellent remedy. Continue the cold applica- 
tion until the unnatural heat is materially de- 
creased. Artificial respiration should be prac- 
ticed at the same time. No stimulants should 
be given. 

Hemorrhage. — If an artery is wounded, the 
blood will flow in jets, sometimes being thrown 
several feet, and will be of a bright red color ; 
if the wounded vessel is a vein, the blood will 
be of a dark color, and will flow in a steady 
stream. Slight hemorrhage will be easily con- 
trolled by pressure over a little pad of folded 
linen applied directly to the wound. 

When large vessels are injured, greater care is 
necessary. If the vessel be an artery, apply the 
pressure between the wound and the heart ; if 
it be a vein, apply the pressure upon the opposite 
side. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 327 

The application of cold, by means of cloths wet 
in iced water, snow, or pounded ice, is a very ef- 
fective means of stopping hemorrhage. 

In case the hand, forearm, or foot is severely 
wounded, it should be elevated above the rest of 
the body, and bound in towels with which pounded 
ice is folded. Hemorrhage from the end of the 
finger or toe may be stopped by the application 
of pressure to the sides. 

When a very large artery of the arm or leg is 
wounded, resulting in hemorrhage which cannot 
be quickly controlled by any of the means men- 
tioned, proceed as follows : — 

Take a handkerchief or strip of cloth of suffi- 
cient length to reach round the limb, and tie a 
large knot in the center. Apply the knot just 
over the course of the wounded vessel, above the 
wound. Now pass a stout ruler or rod beneath 
the bandage, upon the side opposite the knot. 
Twist it round so as to tighten the bandage, and 
thus compress the artery 'beneath the knot. In- 
crease the compression until the hemorrhage is 
controlled. A tight bandage of this kind should 
not be retained too long, as it may destroy the 
life of the parts below. The object is to control 
the hemorrhage only until the wounded vessel can 
be secured and tied by a surgeon or other com- 
petent person. 

Bleeding from wounds of the scalp is easily con- 
trolled by pressure upon the seat of injury. 



32« THE HOUSEHOLD 

Nosebleed . — Remove all constrictions from 
the throat, so that the return of blood from the 
head will be unobstructed. Hold the head erect 
for the same reason ; inclining it forward in- 
creases the hemorrhage. Twist the corner of a 
handkerchief or piece of old linen, and press 
tightly into the bleeding nostril. Hold it in place 
until the bleeding ceases, unless it passes backward 
into the throat, when other measures will be re- 
quired. Blowing the nose, and bathing it in 
water, increases rather than checks the hemor- 
rhage. 

Pressure upon the facial artery upon the side 
on which the hemorrhage occurs, will sometimes 
check it. Apply firm pressure upon the notch on 
the lower border of the lower jaw just in front of 
the angle. 

When the bleeding has once stopped, do not dis- 
turb the clot that has formed in the nose, as bleed- 
ing may be induced again by so doing. In very se- 
vere cases, the posterior opening from the nasal 
cavity into the mouth will require plugging ; sur- 
gical assistance will be necessary for this. 

Hemorrhage from the nose is seldom fatal. 
When scattered upon the floor or clothing, a few 
ounces of blood look like a quart. A very few 
spoonfuls will color a large quantity of water very 
red. 

Bleeding from Lungs. — Blood which is ex- 
pectorated by coughing, often comes from the 



MONITOR OF HEALTH 329 

throat or nasal cavity ; having trickled down into 
the air passages, it is coughed out. This is nearly 
always of a dark color, and is commonly clotted. 
Blood which comes from the lungs is of a bright 
red color, and is frothy from the admixture of air. 
The amount of blood lost is much less than is usu- 
ally thought, and is seldom the cause of death. 

Keep the patient as quiet as possible, with his 
head elevated a little. Instruct him to restrain 
his cough as much as he can, and to avoid all vio- 
lent efforts at coughing. Make cold applications 
to the chest, and hot. to the spine, feet, and limbs. 
For applying cold to the chest, rubber ice-bags 
are .very convenient, as they do not wet the cloth- 
ing. When they are not at hand, employ com- 
presses of snow or pounded ice large enough to 
cover the entire chest, or the affected side if the 
exact origin of the hemorrhage is known. Salt 
taken into the mouth, and the inhalation of vapor 
of turpentine, are also very useful measures. 
Pour a little turpentine into a cup of boiling water, 
and place to the patient's nose. 

Guts. — Cuts should be dressed in such a way 
that the severed edges may unite properly. Firm 
clots of blood lying in the wound, should be care- 
fully removed, with any other foreign body. If the 
bleeding has ceased, the edges may be brought to- 
gether and secured by stitches or adhesive straps, 
according to the size and position of the wound. 
Small wounds sometimes require only that the 



330 THE HOUSEHOLD 

edges be thus brought together to stop the bleed- 
ing. The strips of plaster used should be nar- 
row, and there should be narrow spaces left be- 
tween them, to allow room for the escape of the 
discharge, should any occur. 

Care should be taken not to close a wound when 
vessels of any size have been ruptured, without 
either ligating the bleeding vessel or closing it by 
torsion. Much injury has often resulted from a 
neglect of this rule. 

If the end of a finger or toe has been accident- 
ally cut off, it should be at once replaced, even 
though it may have been entirely severed. Being 
kept in place, it will be quite likely to adhere and 
prevent an ugly scar. If the severed piece is 
frozen or badly bruised, the attempt will be use- 
less. 

Dressing for Wounds. — As a dressing to be 
applied to all wounds, nothing is equal to water. 
While swollen and painful, cold applications 
should be made by means of thin compresses, 
which should be changed every few minutes. 
After the pain and inflammation have subsided, 
apply thin compresses kept constantly wet in 
tepid water. In some cases submersion of the 
part in water is serviceable. 

The various "pain-killers," liniments, and 
washes, have no healing virtue whatever. Opium 
and arnica relieve the pain only by paralyzing 
the nerves. They simply hide the condition of 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 33 1 

the wound from the patient. Both are poisons 
which retard healing. 

Bruises. — Apply as quickly as possible a hot 
fomentation. Renew the application every five 
minutes for an hour or two. Apply afterward 
the tepid compress. This will prevent soreness, 
and much of the swelling and discoloration which 
would otherwise result. This is the way to treat 
a black eye, a broken nose, or a foot which has 
been pierced by a rusty nail. 

How to Cure a Sprain. — A_sprain is an in- 
jury to a joint, produced by straining or lacerat- 
ing one or more of the ligaments connected with 
it. The first thing to be done after the re- 
ceipt of the injury is to apply hot fomentations 
to the injured joint ; and the sooner the better. 
After applying hot fomentations for one or two 
hours, or longer, if the pain continues, apply cold 
compresses, and keep the joint entirely at rest. 
When there is much swelling, alternating it with 
cold pouring, continued for an hour at a time, 
will often give great relief. Rest is one of the 
most essential features of treatment, since the 
injured ligaments cannot be repaired while dis- 
turbed by the motion of the joint. Cases are 
numerous in which an injury that was at first 
a slight sprain, has resulted in the total loss of 
the use of the limb, from neglect to give the 
joint the required rest while nature was effecting 
a repair. The various liniments which have a 



332 THE HOUSEHOLD 

reputation for the cure of sprains are useful only as 
a means of inducing the patient to rub and ma- 
nipulate the joint. Rubbing is a very useful means 
of treatment, especially if the limb is considera- 
bly swollen. Violent manipulation of the joint 
should be carefully avoided, as it would only 
serve to increase inflammation. 

Fractures and Dislocations. — These acci- 
dents usually require the attention of a skillful 
surgeon, who should be called at once. 

Rapid and Simple Method of Reducing Dis- 
location of the Shoulder. — A foreign physi- 
cian has suggested a simple method of reducing 
this common form of dislocation. He "makes 
the patient stand with a crutch in his axilla ; he 
then holds the hand of the affected side, making 
slight traction downward ; the patient is now to 
let himself down as if he was going to fall on his 
knees, and as he falls, the head of the humerus 
glides into its normal position, and the patient 
is surprised at finding himself cured. " 

For Scalds. — Apply at once light cloths 
dipped in cool or tepid water, or immerse the part 
in water. When the pain is somewhat relieved, 
apply pure lard or sweet oil. One of the best 
preparations is sweet oil to which carbolic acid 
has been added in proportion of one part to 
twenty. It may be applied by means of a satu- 
rated cotton or linen cloth laid over the part. 
If the scald has not destroyed much of the skin, 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 333 

prompt relief will usually be obtained by cover- 
ing the part with the white of egg applied with 
a soft brush. Apply a second coat when the 
first dries. Deep scalds should be poulticed after 
the pain has been somewhat relieved by the ap- 
plication of cool wet cloths, as they will be at- 
tended with sloughing, and discharge of pus. 
Alum-water and carron oil (a mixture of lime 
water and linseed oil, in equal parts) are favorite 
remedies with some. A saturated solution of bi- 
carbonate of soda, applied by means of a thin 
compress, is recommended as a most excellent 
remedy. 

For a Burn. — If a person has been burned 
by the clothes' catching fire, remove the clothing 
as soon as possible, taking care to keep the 
burned surface drenched with tepid water ; and 
be sure not to drag upon the injured skin in such 
a way as to pull it off, as it is the best possible 
protection for the tender flesh beneath. When 
the clothing has been removed, keep the burned 
surface covered with cloths wrung out of soda- 
water made by dissolving a teaspoonful of soda 
in a pint of water. This is an effectual method 
of treating burns, and is far superior to the old- 
time dressing of carron oil. 

To burns produced by lye, caustic potash, or 
other alkalies, apply vinegar or some other weak 
acid as quickly as possible. To a burn produced 



334 THE HOUSEHOLD 

by an acid, apply an alkali, as soda, ashes, or 
simple earth. 

To Prevent Scars after Burns. — It very 
often happens that great disfigurement is occa- 
sioned by the contraction of the scars produced 
by deep burns. To a great degree this may be 
prevented by daily manipulation of the parts 
with oil. The scar should be well rubbed, 
stretched and pulled, and by this treatment it 
may be kept soft and flexible. 

Freezing. — In cases of freezing, the great 
danger is in thawing out too quickly, the result 
of which is inflammation and death of the frosted 
parts ; or in milder cases, chilblain. Keep the 
patient away from the fire. Place him in a cool 
room, and rub the frozen parts with snow or cold 
wet cloths until the circulation is reestablished. 
If the patient is apparently dead, artificial respi- 
ration should be practiced as long as there is a 
particle of hope of recovery ; and the effort should 
not be abandoned for several hours. 

Those who are exposed to severe cold should 
remember that one of the symptoms of freezing 
is an almost uncontrollable desire to sleep. Re- 
sist it. 

Incubation Period of Hydrophobia. — The. 
incubation period of hydrophobia is probably 
more variable than that of any other disease. 
Little accurate information existed respecting 
this malady, previous to the researches of Pas- 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 335 

teur within the last few years. This investigator 
collected over five hundred cases of the disease, 
which had occurred in France, and found the 
average period of incubation to be a little less 
than three months. In some instances, the pe- 
riod was three or four weeks. It may be said 
that the period varies from one month to three 
or four months. The popular opinion that a 
person may die from the bite of a mad dog 
years after the wound is healed, is erroneous. 
Quite a number of diseases, such as tetanus and 
acute softening of the brain, are very similar to 
the disease commonly called hydrophobia, and 
are doubtless often mistaken for it. 

What to Do for Rattlesnake Bites. — Dr. 
S. Weir Mitchell, of Philadelphia, who has made 
very extensive researches concerning the nature 
and effects of the rattlesnake virus, describes, in 
a recently published article, the proper method 
of dealing with rattlesnake bites, as follows : 
"I am often asked what I would do if bitten 
while far from help. If the wound be at the 
tip of a finger, I should like to get rid of the 
part by some such auto-surgical means as a 
knife or a possible hot iron affords. Failing 
these, or while seeking help, it is wise to quar- 
antine the poison by two ligatures drawn tight 
enough to stop all circulation. The heart weak- 
ness is made worse by emotion, and at this time 
a man may need stimulus to enable him to walk 



336 THE HOUSEHOLD 

home. As soon as possible some one should 
thoroughly infiltrate the seat of the bite with 
permanganate of sotia or potash, or some other 
like agent. By working and kneading the tis- 
sues, the venom and the antidote may be made 
to come into contact, and the former may be so 
far destroyed. At this time it becomes needful 
to relax the ligatures to escape gangrene. The 
relaxation, of course, lets some venom into the 
blood-round, but in a few moments it is possible 
again to tighten the ligatures, and again to in- 
ject the local antidote. If the dose of venom 
be large, and the distance from help great, ex- 
cept the knife or cautery little is to be done that 
is of value. But it is well to bear in mind that 
in this country a bite in the extremities rarely 
causes death. I have known of nine dogs hav- 
ing been bitten by as many snakes, and of these 
dogs but two died. In India there would have 
been probably nine dead dogs." 

Insect Stings. — The pain caused by the sting 
of an insect is the result of an acid poison in- 
jected into the tissues. The first thing to be 
done is to press the tube of a small key firmly 
on the wound, moving the key from side to side 
to favor the expulsion of the sting with its ac- 
companying poison. The sting, if left in the 
wound by the insect, should be carefully ex- 
tracted, as it will greatly increase the local ir- 
ritation. The poison of the virus being acid, 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 337 

common sense points to the alkalies as the 
proper antidote. Among the most easily pro- 
cured remedies may be mentioned soft soap, 
liquor of ammonia (spirits of hartshorn), smell- 
ing salts, washing soda, quicklime made into a 
paste with water, lime water, the juice of an 
onion, bruised dock leaves, tomato juice, wood- 
ashes, and carbonate of soda. A solution of 
borax in the proportion of one ounce to a pint 
of water is also a most excellent remedy. 

The same remedies should be applied to the 
bites of gnats, mosquitoes, spiders, fleas, and 
other insects. 

Dirt in the Eye. — Particles of dirt or other 
foreign bodies in the eye should be removed at 
once. If the object is upon the visible portion 
of the eyeball, remove it with the corner of a 
handkerchief. If concealed beneath the lid, roll 
the lid over upon a pencil, or turn it outward 
with the finger, and remove the speck in the 
same way. Dirt beneath the upper eyelid can 
often be removed by drawing the lid outward and 
downward over the under lid. Then press it 
upon the under lid and open the eye. Blow- 
ing the nose while the eye is closed will assist 
in the removal of small particles of dirt. Par- 
ticles of iron which have become inbedded in 
the tissue of the eye, may be loosened and re- 
moved by a needle mounted in the end of a 



33^ THE HOUSEHOLD 

pencil ; but such an instrument must be used 
with extreme care. 

Lime in the Eye. — Lime is a powerfully 
caustic alkali, and in numerous instances a small 
quantity thrown into the eye has resulted in total 
destruction of sight. A strong solution of sugar 
or diluted vinegar should be applied as quickly 
as possible after the accident, in case a par- 
ticle has been thrown into the eye. While the 
lotion is in preparation, the eye should be thor- 
oughly washed. 

Foreign Bodies in the Ear. — Never use 
a sharp instrument about the ear in any way. 
Insects can generally be dislodged very speedily 
by dropping into the ear a little oil or warm 
water. Solid bodies, like peas, beans, or pieces 
of stone, can usually be removed by the diligent 
application of warm water and soap by means 
of a syringe. The head should be inclined to 
one side, so that the object may readily drop 
out. If this is unsuccessful, after thorough trial, 
use a loop of fine wire or horsehair, a small 
scoop, or a pair of delicate forceps. Hardened 
ear-wax should be softened by warm water and 
soap, and then removed with great care by 
means of the scoop. 

Foreign Bodies in the Nose. — Blow through 
the nose with as much force as possible, at 
the same time closing the mouth and the un- 
obstructed nostril. Sneezing will sometimes 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 339 

expel the cause of obstruction. A loop of wire 
or a blunt hook may be successfully used ; but 
care must be taken to avoid crowding the object 
farther in. If it is not tightly imbedded, it may 
be driven out by making the water from a syringe 
pass up the unobstructed nostril and out of the 
one containing the foreign body. 

Another plan is to blow the patient's nose for 
him by closing the empty nostril with the finger, 
and then blowing suddenly and strongly into the 
mouth. The glottis closes spasmodically, and 
the whole force of the breath goes to expel the 
button or bean, which commonly flies out at the 
first effort. This plan has the great advantage 
of exciting no terror in children, and of being- 
capable of being at once employed, before delay 
has given rise to swelling and impaction. 

A New Means of Expelling Foreign Bodies 
Which have been Swallowed. — Prof. Bil- 
roth, of Vienna, a great Austrian surgeon, em- 
ploys at his clinic the following simple means 
of expelling foreign bodies which have passed 
into the stomach. The patient is simply made 
to eat a large quantity of potatoes. These have 
a tendency to produce a gaseous distention of 
the bowels, and fill the intestines with a pulpous 
mass, which entangles and sweeps away the for- 
eign body, whatever it may be. 

Sometime ago, a hospital physician, after labor- 
ing indef atigably to extract a marble from a child's 



340 THE HOUSEHOLD 

throat, rushed to his office after more instruments. 
After he was gone, a police officer who witnessed 
the doctor's unsuccessful efforts, turned the child 
upside down, shook it by its heels, and out dropped 
the marble. 

Chimney on Fire. — Throw into the stove, 
or upon the coals in the fire-place, a handful of 
salt or sulphur. Close the stove-draft, or hold 
a board or blanket before the fire-place. 

What to Do in Poisoning. — Give an emetic 
at once, which may consist simply of tepid water 
in large quantities, or the same with the addition 
of mustard or common salt. After drinking sev- 
eral cupfuls, tickle the throat with the finger or 
a feather. Continue taking a cupful every two 
or three minutes until vomiting occurs. Individual 
poisons require special remedies. The following 
list comprises the most common poisons and their 
antidotes : — 

Vegetable Poisons. — Opium, morphia, cam- 
phor, aconite, laudanum, paregoric, strychnia, 
tobacco, lobelia, arnica, and other vegetable poi- 
sons, require the emetic and the application of a 
stomach-pump if possible. Milk and mucilaginous 
drinks should be given freely after thorough vomit- 
ing. Artificial respiration should be employed in 
poisoning by strychnia and opium. The cold 
douche is also excellent in cases of poisoning by the 
latter drug. Keep the patient awake, if possible, 
by making him walk about. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 34 1 

Acids. — Sulphuric (oil of vitriol), nitric (aqua 
fortis), hydrochloric (muriatic), and oxalic acids 
are the more common. Drink largely of water 
at once. Acids are neutralized by alkalies. Cal- 
cined magnesia is the best antidote. Chalk 
(powdered), whiting, lime, weak lye, and strong 
soapsuds are the best substitutes. Something 
must be done quickly in case of poisoning by 
acids. 

Mineral Poisons. — For corrosive sublimate, 
white precipitate, red precipitate, and vermil- 
ion, take the whites of several eggs in a quart of 
tepid water. Soapsuds thickened a little with 
wheat flour is the best substitute for eggs. No 
other emetic is necessary. 

Arsenic, cobalt (fly powder), ratsbane, Paris 
green, and other compounds containing arsenic, 
should be expelled by vomiting as soon as possi- 
ble. Then administer quite large doses of cal- 
cined magnesia. 

Acetate of lead, white lead, litharge, and salt- 
peter require an emetic followed by oil or muci- 
lage. 

For lunar caustic (nitrate of silver), adminis- 
ter half a tablespoonful of salt in a pint of water. 

The antidote for matches or phosphorus is cal- 
cined magnesia, followed by soothing fluids. 

Antidotes for verdigris and blue vitriol (sul- 
phate of copper) are eggs, milk, and soda. 



342 THE HOUSEHOLD 

Alkalies. — The most common which are 
sources of poisoning are ammonia, potash, soda, 
pearlash, lye (from wood ashes), and salts of 
tartar. Drink copiously of weak vinegar or lemon 
juice. Afterward take some mucilaginous drink, 
or oil. 

Alcoholic Poisoning. — A man found "dead 
drunk" should be treated like any other case of 
narcotic poisoning, as from opium. 

Chronic Poisoning by lead, opium, tobacco, 
or any other drug which has been received into 
the system for a long time, requires, first, that 
the cause be wholly removed at once ; secondly, 
attention to the general health. In the case of 
opium and tobacco, a discontinuance of their 
use is attended with a great deal of unpleasant 
feeling on the part of the patient. He feels as 
though he would certainly die. His fears are 
groundless ; he is in much less danger of dying 
than before. 

Poisonous Candies and Foods. — The paints 
used in the manufacture of candies are poisonous, 
and often sicken . those who eat them, some- 
times fatally in the case of children. 

Fish and meat, either fresh or canned, are fre- 
quently sources of poisoning. Decayed fruit or 
other food, shellfish, and mushrooms are often 
productive of injury in the same way. Such 
cases should be treated on the general principles 
relating to poisoning. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 343 

Soda Water. — The water very often con- 
tains lead. The sirups are most wretched imita- 
tions of natural flavors, and are made from such 
things as old cheese, tar, and mineral acids. 

Dangerous Kerosene. — The kerosene oil sold 
or used in the majority of our cities is almost as 
dangerous a commodity as gunpowder or nitro- 
glycerine. Millions of dollars' worth of property 
has been destroyed, and hundreds of lives have 
been sacrificed, by the use of cheap illuminating 
oil. Crude kerosene contains benzine, naphtha, 
and other highly volatile and explosive com- 
pounds. These dangerous agents should be 
wholly removed by the refiner in preparing the 
oil for use ; but the manufacturer finds it to his 
pecuniary advantage to allow them to remain in 
the oil in greater or less proportions. This kind 
of oil will burn at a much lower temperature than 
that which is pure, and it is to this fact that its 
dangerous properties are due, since it is thereby 
rendered explosive when used in the ordinary ker- 
osene lamp. 

It is very important to be able to distinguish 
dangerous oil from that which may be used with- 
out danger. The following is an excellent method 
for testing oil : — 

Place upon the stove a pan or tin pail contain- 
ing water. Float in this vessel a deep saucer or 
small, deep cup containing a portion of the oil to 
be tested. Place in the oil a thermometer, and 



344 THE HOUSEHOLD 

observe the natural increase of temperature. 
When the temperature reaches yo° or 8o°, bring 
a burning match or taper near to the surface of 
the oil. If a flash is produced, the article is 
highly dangerous. Continue the observations as 
the temperature rises, and if a flash is observed 
at a temperature less than 140 , the oil is ut- 
terly unfit for use, and should not be employed 
for illuminating purposes. 

The lower the temperature at which the flash 
occurs, the greater the danger. 

The State Legislature of Michigan has passed 
an act prohibiting the use or sale of kerosene oil 
which will flash below 140°. 

Dangers in Gasoline. — We quote the fol- 
lowing, respecting this widely-used product of 
coal oil, from a paper published for general dis- 
tribution by the State Board of Health : — 

' ' Gasoline, since its discovery, has always 
been known to chemists to be a dangerous 
substance. It evaporates rapidly at ordinary 
temperatures, and its vapor, when mixed with 
ordinary air in proper proportion, forms an ex- 
plosive compound the same as does ordinary 
illuminating gas. It is stated that one pint of 
gasoline, when evaporated, will render explosive 
two hundred cubic feet of air. The vapor of 
gasoline is in some respects more dangerous 
than common illuminating gas, especially the 
variety of gasoline which is ordinarily used in 



THE HOUSEHOLD MONITOR. 345 

connection with gasoline stoves. Certainly no 
one would think of placing gunpowder or nitro- 
glycerine in the hands of ignorant or unskilled 
persons, even though precise instructions respect- 
ing their use might accompany the destructive 
articles ; yet this is precisely what is done in 
the most extensive manner with gasoline, an 
explosive in all respects more dangerous than 
gunpowder. Gunpowder will not explode un- 
less fire is brought in immediate contact with 
it. It certainly will not leave the can contain- 
ing it, should the cover happen to be left off, 
and insidiously find its way to a fire, a lighted 
lamp, or other means by which an explosion may 
be produced. But this may occur with gasoline. 

' ' R.ULE,S FOR THE USE AND CARE OF GASOLINE. 

— Every person employing or keeping gasoline, 
should bear constantly in mind the following 
facts and precautions respecting its use : — 

"1. Gasoline is an extremely dangerous ex- 
plosive substance. 

"2. It should be kept in a cool, well-ventilated 
place, if possible outdoors or in an outbuilding, 
never in a kitchen, closet, or cellar. 

"3. A vessel containing gasoline, unless tightly 
.closed, should never be brought within ten feet 
of a lamp, stove, grate, flame, or fire of any 
sort. The small flame of a match or even a 
spark is sufficient to explode the gas when 
present in sufficient quantity. 



34^ THE HOUSEHOLD 

' ' 4. The vapor of gasoline may be carried by 
a draft or current of air, and thus be brought 
in contact with fire at a considerable distance, 
even greater than that mentioned in the pre- 
ceding paragraph ; consequently gasoline should 
never be opened or poured from one vessel to 
another in a current of air, unless the current is 
from the room outdoors. 

"5. The danger in connection with the use of 
gasoline stoves is not so much in the stoves 
themselves as in having the gasoline about ; 
yet by continued use, the valves of a stove 
may become so worn that leaks may occur, 
and thus a stove may become a source of great 
danger. 

"6. If an overflow of gas occurs, from being 
turned on too freely, from leakage of valves, or 
from the blowing out of the generating burner, 
as sometimes accidentally happens, the surplus 
gasoline should be carefully wiped up, and the 
room should be well aired by the opening up of 
windows and doors before the burner is lighted. 

"7. If an open vessel containing gasoline has 
been standing in a room over night, or an over- 
flow has occurred during the night, or if there 
is found in a room a strong smell of gasoline at 
any time, the room should be opened and well 
aired, and that before a match is lighted or a 
lighted lamp or candle carried into the room. 

' ' 8. Gasoline should never be used for lighting 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 347 

a fire. An explosion, which may possibly be 
fatal in its effects, is almost certain to follow. 
Persons have been maimed for life in this way. 
' ' 9. The use of gasoline lamps is, if possible, 
attended with even greater dangers than the use 
of gasoline stoves. 

"10. A wise regard for safety will lead to the 
disuse of gasoline in any form, for domestic pur- 
poses. 

"11. Gas or kerosene stoves may be safely 
substituted for gasoline stoves, but no gas, gas- 
oline, or kerosene stoves are so safe or health- 
ful as the ordinary wood or coal stove. The 
ordinary stove aids in the ventilation of the 
room, and carries away the poisonous gases 
formed by the combustion of the fuel, whereas 
the other forms of stoves discharge the prod- 
ucts of combustion into the air of the room, 
compelling the occupants to breathe the poi- 
sonous gases. Gas, gasoline, and kerosene 
stoves should never be employed in other than 
very open or well-ventilated rooms, unless pro- 
vided with a special flue or ventilating duct for 
the purpose of carrying off the products of com- 
bustion." 



MEDICAL FRAUDS 



PATENT MEDICINES, SECRET 
REMEDIES, ETC. 

The United States has been styled by some 
foreign writers, the paradise of quacks ; and if 
the quack's paradise is a place where these hu- 
man ghouls can manufacture and vend their 
wares without hindrance of any sort, and can 
prey upon human lives at their .pleasure, with no 
one to molest or make them afraid, then this 
country would seem to be their " happy hunting- 
ground." Certainly there is no country in all the 
world where the medical quack thrives, prospers, 
and spreads himself like a green bay tree, as in 
this United States. 

The quack, whether he undertakes to practice 
as a physician, or poses as a manufacturer or 
vender of nostrums, is first a liar, secondly a swin- 
dler, and thirdly a hypocrite. The average man- 
ufacturer of patent medicines regularly employs 
an individual of some literary attainments, whose 
duty it is to manufacture vigorous testimonials 
and ingenious anecdotes, or pathetic recitals of 
sufferings relieved by Dr. Charlatan's universal 
348 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 349 

panacea. These conscienceless fellows manu- 
facture testimonials by the thousand, taking care 
to use the names of persons who have " moved 
away," or who have died by some accident since 
the testimonial was given. In many instances, 
persons are hired to give testimonials and answer 
letters of inquiry in such a way as to encourage 
business. But, in by far the majority of cases, 
the manufacturer of patent medicines does not 
think it worth while to take the trouble to get 
genuine signers to his testimonials. The lies told 
in the recommendations are of such minor im- 
portance compared with the enormous mendacity 
which appears in every line of the claims made 
in the wrappers which surround each bottle of 
medicine, or the labels which cover it, and in 
the newspaper announcements, that it would be 
hardly worth while to stop at so trifling a matter 
as the forgery of a dead person's name, or the 
signing of a testimonial with the name of a per- 
son who never lived. The shameless dishonesty 
and ingenious villainy exhibited by the manufact- 
urers and venders of patent medicines, are beyond 
description, as we feel sure our readers will be- 
come convinced by a perusal of the facts which 
we propose to present to them. We shall under- 
take truthfully and fearlessly to expose the enor- 
mous frauds which are practiced upon the unsus- 
pecting public. 

As the best means of exposing the shameless 



350 THE HOUSEHOLD 

character of the traffic in patent medicines and 
secret remedies, we propose to publish the results 
of the analyses of several hundred of the most 
popular and widely known of these nostrums, 
as reported by competent chemical authorities. 
Some of the analyses which we shall give have 
been made at our own instigation, and others 
have been collected from a variety of reliable 
sources. In many instances, the analysis will 
show the most highly extolled remedy to be ab- 
solutely inert. In other cases it will appear that 
nostrums which are represented to cure certain 
maladies, are in the highest degree calculated to 
produce the very diseases for which they are of- 
fered as remedies. In not a few instances, secret 
nostrums will actually prove to be most danger- 
ous poisons, and few will be recognized as really 
valuable ; but even these latter are sold at a 
price so out of proportion to the first cost that 
their sale cannot be regarded otherwise than as 
a patent fraud upon the public. Without further 
introduction, we present herewith our collection, 
the result of many years' painstaking research, 
and the collection of analyses of patent nostrums 
and proprietary medicines. 

In looking over the analyses which we here- 
with offer, and which, we believe, is the largest 
ever published, the reader will notice that those 
remedies which are really valuable are by no 
means novel or peculiar, but are old, well-tried 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 35 1 

remedies, which the quack has rendered fascinat- 
ing by offering under some new-fangled and al- 
luring name. 



SURE CURES FOR EPILEPSY. 

One of the most widely advertised of these is 
' ' Samaritan Nervine. " This remedy is war- 
ranted to cure not only fits, but bad temper, in- 
sanity, waywardness, a quarrelsome disposition, 
and many other moral as well as physical mal- 
adies. Here is the formula, according to an 
analysis published by New Idea : — 

Potass, bromide i oz., sugar i oz., caramel 20 drops, water 5 
oz. ; dissolve, and add oil cassia 10 drops. 

Pleis's Fit Powders. — According to The Drug Mill, these 
powders are composed of the following : Bromide of potash 15 
gr. , powdered gentian 5 gr. 

Peacock's Bromides. — This preparation consists of lithium 
bromide 1 gr., calcium bromide 3 gr., ammonium bromide 6 
gr., sodium bromide 10 gr., potassium bromide 10 gr , vanilla 
Ys oz., sugar 10 oz., water 16 oz. 

Elepizone. — According to New Idea, this marvelous remedy 
which the manufacturers claim to have prepared for the pur- 
pose ' ' of rescuing the unwary and unfortunate from the unprin- 
cipled hands of quacks, charlatans, empirics, and venders of 
poisonous patent medicines, which ruin thousands annually, and 
which make it a duty of some educated person to check their 
wholesale slaughter," is sold at the modest price of $4.00 a 
pint. Here is the formula : Magnesii bromidi 3 dr. , sodii bro- 
midi 3 dr., aquas i.y z oz., ol. cassias 2 drops, syr. simplex 
sufficient to make 4 oz., carmine to color. 

The cost of a pint of the above could not ex- 
ceed fifteen cents. It will be noticed that the 



352 THE HOUSEHOLD 

bromides of potash and other alkalies form the 
basis of all these nostrums recommended for 
epilepsy. This remedy is in common use by all 
physicians, and often relieves the symptoms of 
the disease, although it seldom effects a cure. 
Elepizone is in no respect superior to other nos- 
trums of this class. 



OPIUM CURES. 

A great number of so-called ' ' opium cures " 
are advertized in the newspapers and popular 
magazines. We have taken pains to obtain 
and examine a considerable number of these 
nostrums, and have rarely failed to find that 
the so-called remedy for the opium habit was 
simply opium in disguise. One of the most con- 
temptible of these fraudulent cures is a mixture 
manufactured by a Mrs. Harriet Hubbard Ayer. 

Ayer's Yita >'uova. — {New Life.) This medicine is thus 
described by the manufacturer: "A life-giving and health- 
renewing cordial and tonic. A positive cure for the opium and 
alcohol habits. Dose : three tablespoonfuls three times a day. 
In addition to this, it can be taken as necessity requires, after 
any unusual labor, mental or physical. Price, $1.00 a bottle. 
It creates no craving, and can be left off at any moment without 
the slightest desire for it. " 

This nostrum is guaranteed to be positively free from alco- 
hol and narcotics. According to the analysis published in the 
Druggists' 1 Circular, it contains nearly 20 per cent of alcohol, 
and large quantities of cocaine, one of the most powerful and 
deadly narcotics known. The manufacturers of this nostrum 
have deliberately set themselves about fastening the cocaine 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 353 

habit upon hundreds of thousands of persons A more diabol- 
ical scheme could scarcely be conceived. Nevertheless, here 
follows another even worse. 

Scotch Oats Essence. — This so-called " nerve tonic," which 
is guaranteed to contain no alcohol, and to be free from harmful 
ingredients, actually contains 35 per cent of alcohol and two 
grains of morphia to each bottle. The Western Druggist very 
properly characterizes this nostrum as a " diabolical concoc- 
tion, a crime which is not merely obtaining money under false 
pretenses, nor simply a case of ingenious and wholesale rob- 
bery, but a devilish scheme for undermining the mind, soul, 
and life of its victims, and this under the pious pretense of 
strengthening the body and restoring the jaded mind." 

Haines's Golden Specific for the Opium Habit.— The West- 
ern Druggist gives the following as the formula of "Haines's 
Golden Specific for the Opium Habit : " — 

Bayberry-root bark powdered 16 oz., ginger powdered 8 oz., 
capsicum powdered 1 oz. 

There is evidently nothing in this mixture which could ex- 
ercise any potency in the cure of the opium habit. It is a 
fraud of the first water. 

Double Chloride of Gold. — Some years ago we obtained a 
sample of this remedy, and made a careful search for the pres- 
ence of gold, but found none. It has been widely recom- 
mended and sold, as a remedy for drunkenness and the opium 
habit. On the authority of the Druggists' Circular, we give 
the following as its true composition : Chloride of ammonium 
1 gr., aloin 2 gr., compound tinct. of cinchona 3 fl. oz , water 
sufficient to make 4 fl . oz. 



COSMETICS. 

The anxiety of the devotees of fashion to add 
to their natural complexion charms which nature 
has denied them, has given rise to an enormous 
business in the manufacture of cosmetics, the 



354 THE HOUSEHOLD 

most of which are not only useless and harm- 
ful, but positively dangerous. Quite a propor- 
tion of the popular remedies of this class con- 
tain corrosive sublimate. The following are a 
few samples : — 

Malvina Cream. — " Warranted to remove freckles, beautify 
the complexion, and preserve the smoothness of the skin." It 
is composed of the following substances: Saxoline 265 gr., 
white wax 50 gr., spermaceti 30 gr., bismuth oxychloride 
40 gr. , mercuric chloride ^ gr., spirits of rose (4 drams of oil 
to 1 pint) 20 drops, oil of bitter almonds 1-10 drops. 

Malvina Lotion. — To be used with "Malvina Cream." 
' ' Warranted to cure freckles, pimples, moth patches, liver 
mole, ringworm, and cleanses and softens the skin to youthful 
freshness." According to New Idea this lotion contains cor- 
rosive sublimate, one of the deadliest of poisons. 

Palmer's Cosmetic. — A weak solution of sulpho-carbolate 
of zinc in glycerine and rose-water. 

Lac Yirginis. — This remedy consists of tinct. of benzoin 
10 parts, rose-water 150 parts. In use, a teaspoonful is to be 
added to a basin of water. Really a valuable remedy, but not 
worth the price charged for it. 

Helmbold's Jelly of Glycerine and Roses. — Tragacanth 
1 dr., triple ext. of rose 6 drops, glycerine 2 fl. oz., water 
4 fl. oz. 

Hagan's Magnolia Balm. — The following mixture is said to 
represent this popular nostrum : Pure oxide of zinc 1 oz., 
rose-water 4 oz., glycerine 1 dr., perfume 25 drops. 

Funk's Cream of Roses.— One dram of gum tragacanth dis- 
solved in eight ounces of warm water ; strain through muslin 
while hot, and add one ounce each of glycerine and triple ex- 
tract of white roses. 

Falke's Sulpholine Cream. — This is composed of mucilage 
of quince seeds 300 parts, glycerine 40 parts, sulpho-carbolata 
of sodium 20 parts. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 355 

Comedone Lotion — consists of sulphuric ether i oz., car- 
bonate ammonia i dr., boracic acid 20 gr., water to make 
16 dr. 

Tully Powder. — Sulphate morphia, pulverized camphor, 
pulverized licorice root, prepared chalk. 

Albadermine. — This name is applied to a method for re- 
moving tan and freckles in which two solutions are used. 

First, potass, iodide 2 dr., pure iodine 3 gr., glycerine 3 dr., 
rose-water 4 oz. 

Second, hyposulphide of soda 1 1-2 oz., rose-water 1 pt. 

In use, solution No. I is applied to the skin 
with a camel's-hair pencil. After fifteen or 
twenty minutes, a piece of lint moistened with 
solution No. 2 is laid upon the part previously 
treated by solution No. i. The lint is removed 
after a few minutes, squeezed, and again moist- 
ened with solution No. 2, and applied until the 
iodine stain has disappeared. The freckles or 
tan will be removed, or greatly diminished. 

The above remedy is doubtless a useful one, 
but the following so-called Recamier remedies 
are among the most dangerous and worthless 
with which we are acquainted. These remedies 
are claimed to have been obtained by Mrs. Ayer 
from a French countess, a relative of the cele- 
brated Mme. Recamier. The character of their 
ingredients will be readily recognized by reading 
the analysis. The only things remarkable about 
these preparations are their name and the brazen 
effrontery with which they are offered as novel 
and secret preparations. 



356 THE HOUSEHOLD 

Eecamier Balm. — A solution of corrosive sublimate with a 
little oxide of zinc. Costs about ten cents ; sold at $1.50. 

Recamier Lotion. — According to the Western Druggist, the 
following is the formula : Oxide of zinc 2 oz., glycerine 6J£ dr., 
water 1 dr., spirits of rose 1 dr. 

Modine. — This is a fair sample of the numerous depilatories 
which are offered for sale. It consists of mono-sulphide of cal- 
cium. This caustic paste dissolves the hair close to the skin, 
possibly penetrating slightly into the hair follicles. It does not 
remove the hair permanently, as it does not destroy the roots. 
The same remark applies to all remedies of this kind. 

According to Dr. Tuttle in the Medical Record, 
lead is not the most harmful constituent of these 
preparations. The following list shows at a 
glance the principal ingredients of the most pop- 
ular enamels, lotions, and powders used as cos- 
metics : — 

ENAMELS. 

Eugenie's Favorite, Carbonate lead. 

Hagan's Magnolia Balm, Oxide zinc. 

French's Grease Paint, Oxide zinc and calcium. 

Snow White Oriental Cream, Carbonate lead. 

Snow White Enamel, Carbonate lead. 

Gouraud's Oriental Cream, Calomel and water. 

Laird's Bloom of Youth, Oxide zinc and ca'.cium. 

Bradford's Enameline, Oxide zinc. 



Kalydor, Corrosive sublimate and 

potash. 

Circassian Cream, Corrosive sublimate. 

Milk of Roses, Corrosive sublimate, 

rose-water, and oil 
of almonds. 

POWDERS. 

Complexion Powder, Bismuth subcarboo. 

Flake White, Carbonate lead. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 357 

Riker's Face Powder, Calcium and zinc car- 

bonate. 
Saunders's Face Powder, Oxide of zinc. 

Pearl White, Subnitrate bismuth. 



ASTHMA, COUGH, AND CON- 
SUMPTION CURES. 

As the reader will observe in reading the fol- 
lowing analyses, the popular nostrums for lung 
disorders, almost without exception, contain some 
preparation of opium or other narcotic. Many 
contain alcohol in addition, and such other dan- 
gerous drugs as lobelia and tartar emetic. It is 
too little to say that not one of these so-called 
"cures" ever cured a sirgle case of consumption. 
Doubtless most, if not all, of them have hurried 
many a poor deluded consumptive into his grave. 
The public cannot be too earnestly warned against 
the use of these delusive compounds. 

Wistar's Balsam of Wild Cherry.— Fl. ext. wild cherry 1 
■fl. oz., fl. ext. ipecac 2 fl. dr., fl. ext. squills 2 fl. dr., tinct. 
opium 1 dr., tartar emetic 2 gr., sugar-house sirup 3 fl. oz., al- 
cohol 6 fl. dr., sp. anise (1 in 8) 20 m., tinct. cudbear comp., 
N. F., 2 dr., water sufficient to make 8 fl. oz. 

White's Cough Sirup. — According to New Idea, the follow- 
ing is substantially the same as the proprietary article : sirup 
tolutani 2 oz., glycerini 4 oz., sirup scillse comp. 6 oz., sirup 
ipecacuanhse 6 oz., tinct. lobelia 6 oz., tinct. opii camph. 6 oz., 
ext. pilocarpi fl. 2 oz., ammonii chloridi 1 oz. 

Thorn's Cough Mixture. — Hive sirup 2 fl. oz., paregoric 1 
fl. oz., sweet spts. nitre 1 fl. oz. 



358 THE HOUSEHOLD 

Piso's Consumption Cure.— Tinct. tolu y 2 oz., fl. ext. lo- 
belia 2 dr., fl. ext. cannabis indica 2 dr., chloroform 1 dr., 
sulph. morphia 4 gr., tartar emetic 4 gr., ess. mentha viridis 10 
drops, water 8 oz., sugar 14 oz. 

Brown's Bronchial Troches.— The following is said to be 
identical with the original article sold under the above name : 
Powdered ext. licorice 1 ft, powdered sugar 1% ft, pow- 
dered cubebs % ft, powdered gum arabic % &■ ext - conium 
1 oz. 

Stoke's Expectorant. — Carbonate ammonia 30 gr., fl. ext. 
squills 1 fl. dr., fl. ext. senega 1 fl. dr., paregoric 6 fl. dr., 
sirup of tolu 12 fl. dr., water 10 fl. dr. 

Smith Bros.' Cough Drops. — These drops are composed of 
sugar, powdered charcoal, a small amount of licorice, oil of 
sassafras, and oil of anise. 

Consumption Cure. — Sirup tolu, sirup wild cherry, tinct. 
hyoscyarous sirup squills, chloric ether, water. 

Shiloh's Consumption Cure.— Muriate of morphine 3 gr., 
muriaHc acid 3 minims, fl. ext. of henbane 2 fl. dr., fl. ext. of 
giuger 3 fl. dr., fl. ext. of wild cherry 3 fl. dr., diluted alcohol 
3 fl. dr., chloroform 1 fl. dr., essence peppermint 30 minims, 
sirup of tar 3 fl. oz., simple sirup enough to make 8 fl. oz. 

Schenck's Pulmonic Sirup. — This famous sirup contains 
wormwood ]/ 2 oz., catnip y 2 oz., tansy _J^ oz., hyssop^ oz., 
hoarhound y 2 oz., hops l / 2 oz., camomile y 2 oz., comfrey 
% oz,, senega y 2 oz., elecampane y 2 oz. Boil with sufficient 
water to make, after straining, one quart ; then add : gum 
arabic \y 2 oz., licorice 1%. oz. Then add one good-sized 
Indian turnip, and finally add sugar 3 ft., brandy % pt., 
juice of two lemons. 

Red Star Cough Sirup. — According to New Idea, this 
nostrum contains cherry bark, tar, chloroform, and bitter 
almonds. 

Ransom's Hire Sirup and Tolu. — Fluid ext. squills 2 fl. dr., 
fluid ext. senega 2 fl. dr., soluble essence tolu 2 fl. dr., tartar 
emetic 4 gr., white sugar 4 oz. av., water to make 4 fl. oz. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 359 

Peekskill's Cough Sirup.— Sirup of tolu 5 fl. oz., sirup of 
ipecac 1 fl. oz., paregoric 4 fl. dr., sirup of wild cherry 1 fl. oz. 

Meibom's Pectoral Balsam. — Benzoin 10 parts, dragon's 
blood 10 parts, opium 10 parts, bals. Peru 10 parts, spermaceti 
5 parts, butter 10 parts, sweet oil of almonds 50 parts, oil of 
turpentine 100 parts, acetic acid 2 parts. 

Locock's Pulmonic Wafers.— Sugar 10 dr., starch 10 dr., 
gum arabic 5 dr., lactucarium 75 gr. Equal parts each of 
vinegar of squills, oxymel of squills, wine of ipecac. 

King's New Discovery. — Sulph. morphia 8 gr., fl. ex. ipecac 
Yz dr., chloroform 60 drops, tinct. white pine 2 oz., water 7 oz., 
carbonate of magnesia % oz., sugar 14 oz. 

Keating's Cough Lozenges. — Lactucarium 7^ gr., ipecac 
?,% gr., squills 3 gr., ext. licorice 3 dr., mucil. tragacanth 
sufficient. 

Jayne's Expectorant. — Sirup squills 2 oz., tinct. tolu i^oz., 
tinct. camphor 1 dr., tinct. digitalis 1 dr., tinct. opium 2 dr., 
wine ipecac 2 dr., antimon. and pot. tart. 2 gr. 

Grandmother's Own Cough Eemedy. — Liquid tar 5 gr., 
fluid ext. hemlock 1 fl. dr., powd. white sugar 2 oz. av. ; add 
alcohol \ fl. oz., water \\ fl. oz., molasses 3 oz. av., fluid ext. 
ipecac 8 minims ; mix well and add finally chloroform 1 fl. dr. 

Gull's Cough Mixture. — Cod liver oil 1 fl. oz., fresh lemon 
juice 1 fl. oz., strained honey 1 fl. oz. 

Good Samaritan Cough Sirup. — Morphia? muriat, 1 gr., 
aq. lauro-cerasi 1 dr. , sirupi 2 oz. 

Bryan's Pulmonic Wafers. — "Warranted to give imme- 
diate relief, and to cure in a few days bronchitis, asthma, con- 
sumption, and all diseases of the lungs and chest." Its sole in- 
gredients are sugar and cornstarch. 

Allen's Lung Balsam. — Tinct. sanguinaria 8 oz., tinct lo- 
belia 8 oz., tinct. opium 4 oz., tinct. capsicum 1 1-2 oz., essence 
.sassafras 1 oz., essence anise 1 oz., New Orleans molasses 1-2 
gal. 

Ayer's Cherry Pectoral. — Acetate of morphia 3 gr., tinct. 
bloodroot 2 dr. , wine antimony 3 dr. , wine ipecac 3 dr. , sirup 
wild cherry 3 oz. 



360 . THE HOUSEHOLD 

Bull's Cough Syrup. — Its sole ingredients are morphia and 
syrup. 

Dellenbaugh's Cough Cure. — Picrate of ammon. 2 gr., 
chloride of ammon. 1 dr., extract of licorice 1 dr., water 3 
fl. oz. 

Finrein. — Solution bromine, iodine, and phosphorus 1 oz., 
fir bark in coarse powder 1 oz., white pine bark, coarse pow- 
der 1-2 oz., tamarac bark, coarse powder 1-2 oz., dilute alco- 
hol 16 fl. oz., sugar 4 oz. 

Gooche's Mexican Cough Syrup. — The following formula 
resembles the original : Fluid extract wild cherry 2 fl. dr., gly- 
cerine 6 fl. dr., simple syrup 2 fl. dr., syrup of tar, sufficient 
to make 3 fl. oz. 

Buckler's Croup Mixture.— Tartar emetic 2 gr., pulv. 
ipecac 40 gr., syrup of squills 2 fl. oz. 

Brodie's Liniment for Asthma.— Oil of stillingia 4 dr., oil 
of cajeput 2 dr , oil of lobelia 1 dr., alcohol 1 oz. 

Hair's Asthma Cure. — Wine of tar 14 oz., iodide of potas- 
sium 220 gr. 

Traf ton's Balm of Life. — Iodide of potassium 80 parts, fl., 
ext. of opium 20 parts, fl. ext. of senega 50 parts, fl. ext. of 
squills 120 parts, alcohol 240 parts, water enough to make, by 
measure, 1920 parts. 

Cleary's Asthma Powder. — Pulv. stramonium leaves 30 
parts, pulv. belladonna leaves 30 parts, pulv. saltpeter 5 parts, 
pulv. opium 2 parts. 

Langell's Asthma Remedy.— Powdered belladonna leaves 
1 part, powdered nitrate of potash 10 parts. 

Himrod's Asthma Cure. — Powdered lobelia 2 oz., powdered 
stramonium leaves 2 oz., powdered nitrate of potash 2 oz., pow- 
dered black tea 2 oz. 

Upham's Asthma Remedy. — Pulv. stramonium leaves, pulv. 
skunk cabbage, pulv. lobelia. 

Jackson's Cough Sirup. — Sirup of acacia, sirup of ipecac, 
sirup of senega, oil sassafras, sulphate morphia. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 36 1 

Wistar's Cough Lozenges. — Ext. licorice, powdered, gum 
arabic, powdered, sugar, powdered, oil anise, sulph. morphia, 
tinct tolu, water. 

Consumption Cure. — Sirup tolu, sirup wild cherry, tinct, 
hyoscyamus, sirup squills, chloric ether, water. ' 



BITTERS. 



A good description of the average ' ' bitters " 
may be expressed in five words : ' ' bad whiskey 
and bad medicines." Not a few of these com- 
pounds are more intoxicating than the strongest 
Scotch whiskey, and are regularly retailed over 
the bar of the saloon. Some of the most widely 
advertised of these compounds are the vilest mixt- 
ures imaginable ; not one of the whole list can be 
recommended as useful under any circumstances. 

Stoughton Bitters. — Orange peel 6 oz., gentian root 8 oz., 
Virginia snake root 1% oz., American saffron y 2 oz., red saun- 
ders x /z oz., alcohol 4 pints, water 4 pints. 

Brown's Iron Bitters. — Iron 1 gr., calisaya bark 2 gr., 
phosphorus 1-200 gr., coca 1 gr., viburnum prunifoliura 1 gr. 

Hop Bitters. — Hops 4 oz., orange peel 2 oz., cardamon 2 
drams, cinnamon 1 dram, cloves y z dram, alcohol 8 oz., sherry 
wine 2 pints, simple sirup 1 pint, water sufficient. 

Hostetter's Bitters. — These bitters contain, according to 
the Medical Bulletin, the following ingredients : sugar 2 lb., 
calamus root 2 lb. , orange peel 2 lb. , Peruvian bark 2 lb. , gen- 
tian root 2 lb., columbo root 2 lb., rhubarb 8 oz., cinnamon 
4 oz., cloves 2 oz., diluted alcohol 4 gal. 

German Bitters. — German camomile 2 oz., sweet flag 2 
oz., orris root 4 oz., coriander seed iyi oz., centaury 1 oz., 
orange peel 3 oz., alcohol 4 pints, water 4 pints, sugar 4 oz. 



362 THE HOUSEHOLD 

Stomach Bitters.— Gentian root 1% oz., cinchona bark l / z 
oz., orange peel iy 2 oz., cinnamon cort. % oz,. anise seed % 
oz., coriander seed y 2 oz., cardamon seed % oz., gum kino % 
oz., alcohol 1 pint, water 4 quarts, sugar 1 pound. 

French Absinthe. — Oil wormwood 1 dram, oil melisa 15 
drops, oil anise 2^ drams, oil star anise 2^ drams, oil fennel 
y 2 dram, oil coriander 3 drops, alcohol 14 pints, water 6 pints. 

"Vinegar Bitters.— The following is Dr. Gibbon's account of 
the origin of Walker's Vinegar Bitters, a specimen of which we 
analyzed several years ago, and found to contain 5 per cent of 
alcohol : — 

' ' This ' Bitters ' is one of the nastiest nostrums, introduced 
and largely sold by the most extensive and brazen advertising 
under the false pretense of being free from alcohol. It orig- 
inated with the cook of a party which traveled overland as a 
mining company to California in 1849 ; he settled in Calaveras 
county, and having no success as a miner, he turned his at- 
tention to the bitter qualities of the herbs growing about him, 
and came to San Francisco with the idea of making and vend- 
ing a nostrum to be called 'Indian Vegetable Bitters.' He fell 
in with an enterprising druggist, who saw money in the pro- 
ject, and joined him. At the suggestion of the latter, the 
'Indian' was struck out, and as the concoction got sour by 
fermentation, it was concluded to call it 'Vinegar Bitters,' and 
to identify it with the temperance movement. The native 
herbs which became rather troublesome to collect, were dis- 
carded, and aloes, being a cheap bitter, was substituted. ' Nine 
sick people out of ten,' said the druggist, 'will be cured by 
purging.' Wherefore the aloes and Glauber's salt. So the cook 
turned doctor, the decoction became sour and of Californian in- 
stead of Indian paternity, and ' Doctor Walker's Vinegar Bit- 
ters ' began its career in the newspapers and on the shelves of 
the drug-stores.' " 

The statement has recently been made that 
1 ' Vinegar Bitters" is now manufactured of sour 
beer and aloes. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 363 



TONICS. 

Tonics, like bitters, are generally a mixture of 
cheap alcohol and some common, cheap drug. 
They are of all nostrums the most deceptive. 
They often make the patient ' ' feel better " tem- 
porarily, while they are really making him daily 
worse. They have been aptly termed, ' ' nerve 
foolers," which delude the patient into fancied 
security while the disease steadily continues its 
inroads upon the body. 

Ausburg Essence of Life. — Rad. rhei. 1 oz., myrrhae 2 oz.,. 
rad. gentianae 2 oz., croci. opt. y 2 oz., camphor y z oz., rad. 
zedoar. 1 oz., rad. angelicas 7.y z oz., castor x / 2 oz., aloes, socot. 
2 oz., sp. vini. rect. 2 pts., aqua? 2 pts. 

Murray's Infallible System Tonic. — Claimed to be the only 

scrofula, catarrh, blood, liver, and kidney medicine on earth. 
Aloes 50 gr., cinnamon, pulv. 25 gr., glycyrrhiza root, pulv., 
25 gr., water sufficient. 

Fellows' Hypophosphites. — Glucose 1 lb., simple sirup 1 
pt., hypophosphite calcium 128 gr., hypdphosphite potassium 
48 gr., sulphate iron 48 gr., sulphate manganese 32 gr., sul- 
phate quinine 14 gr., sulphate strychnine 2 gr., water sufficient. 

Moxie. — This nostrum, which has been so widely advertised 
with the most brazen falsehoods and unscrupulous pretensions, 
instead of being concocted from a remarkable plant discovered 
by Lieutenant Moxie, is simply a decoction of oats, made into 
a sirup, and flavored with sassafras and wintergreen, according 
to the Western Druggist., 

Kline's Nerve Restorer. — Bromide of ammonia 3 dr., bro- 
mide of potassium 3 oz., bicarb, of potassium 80 gr., tinct. 
columbo 6 fl. dr., water 6 fl. oz. 



364 THE HOUSEHOLD 

WORM MEDICINES. 

The great increase in the frequency of tape- 
worm and other intestinal parasites, largely due 
to the general consumption of raw or undone 
beef, has given rise to the development of a 
class of irregular practitioners, who call them- 
selves "worm specialists," and also to a special 
line of nostrums to which vermifuge properties 
are attributed. Some of these nostrums are 
effective, others worthless, none of them are 
superior to the prescription of a reliable physi- 
cian. In fact, most of them are dangerous for 
use without the supervision of a wise physician 1 , 
and ought not to be employed. 

Swaim's Vermifuge. — Worm-seed 2 oz., valerian i l / 2 oz., 
rhubarb 1% oz., pink root \y 2 oz., white agaric i x /z oz. 

Faknestock's Vermifuge.— Castor oil 48 parts, oil worm- 
seed 48 parts, oil anise 24 parts, oil turpentine 1 part, tinct. 
myrrh 3 parts. 

Procter's Vermifuge. — Santonine 16 gr., fluid ext. of senna 
2 oz., fluid ext. of pink root 2 oz. 

Freeman's Vermifuge Oil.— Oil of worm-seed y 2 oz., oil of 
turpentine 2 dr., castor oil 1%. oz., pink root % oz., hydrastin 
10 gr., sirup of peppermint l / 2 oz. 

Patterson's Emulsion of Pumpkin Seeds.— Peel and pound 
two ounces of pumpkin seeds. Mix to a paste with sugar, add 
eight ounces of water. Take in two or three doses. 

Kenkle's Vegetable Worm Sirup.— Santonine 27 gr., oil 
sassafras 1 minim, alcohol 2 fl. oz., fl. ext. pink root 2 fl. oz., 
fl. ext. dandelion l / 2 fl. oz., fl. ext. golden seal X A- oz -> mo ~ 
lasses V> fl. oz. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 365 

LIVER AND KIDNEY CURES. 

Probably no organs of the body suffer more 
abuse from patent medicines than do the liver 
and kidneys. Most of the remedies advertised 
for liver and kidney disorders are in the highest 
degree calculated to produce the very diseases 
which they claim to cure. The harmful charac- 
ter of the drugs will be recognized in many of 
the following analyses : — 

Lee's Anti-Bilious Pills.— Calomel 30 gr., jalap 60 gr., 
gamboge 12 gr., tartar emetic 3 gr. 

Tropic Fruit Laxative.— Jalap, powdered, 5 parts, senna, 
powdered, 5 parts, sugar 5 parts, tamarind pulp (E. I.) 30 parts. 

Carter's Little Liver Pills.— Podophyllin i>^ gr., aloes 
(Socotrine) 3^ gr., mucilage of acacia sufficient. 

Tarrant's Effervescent Seltzer Aperient. — Soda bicarbon- 
ate 168 parts, tartaric acid 150 parts, Rochelle salt 50 parts, 
magnesia sulphate 60 parts. 

Catani's Specific. — Carbonate of lithium 1 part, carbonate 
of sodium 2 parts, citrate of potassium 4 parts. 

Tamar Indien. — Tamarind pulp 450 parts, powd. sugar 40 
parts, powd. sugar of milk 60 parts, glycerine 50 parts. 

Combe's Aperient. — Sulphate of magnes. 35 parts, roasted 
coffee 40 parts, boiling water 500 parts. 

Sirup of Figs. — Senna leaves 14 oz., coriander seed 6 oz., 
figs 24 oz., tamarind 18 oz., cassia pulp 18 oz., prunes 12 oz., 
ext. licorice 1^ oz., ess. peppermint 1^ oz., sir. simp. 1 gal 

Dow's White Liquid Physic. — Sodium sulphate 8 oz., dis- 
solve in water 24 oz., then add nitro-muriatic acid 2 fl. oz., 
powdered alum 68 gr. 

Simon's Liver Regulator.— Hepatica 1 oz., leptandra 1 oz., 
serpentaria 1 oz., senna iy 2 oz. 



366 THE HOUSEHOLD 

Radvray's Regulating Pills.— Each box contains from 29 to 
31 sugar-coated pills of unequal size. They consist of 30 grains 
of aloes, 15 grains of jalap, 8 grains of gamboge, and some in- 
ert substance. 

Eno's Fruit Salt. — Soda bicarbonate 168 parts, tartaric acid 
150 parts, Roche! le salt no parts. 

Hamburg* Tea. — This is composed of senna leaves and stems, 
coriander fruits, manna, and tartaric acid. 

Fleury's Tasteless Cascarine. — This remedy is recom- 
mended to be "harmless. A new remedy for biliousness, 
costiveness, dizziness, headache, and torpid liver." An ex- 
amination shows it to be sub-nitrate of bismuth and calomel 
rubbed up with powdered cane sugar. Its name is wholly 
misleading. 

Holmes's Liver Pills. — Colocynth pulp 1 oz., gamboge 1 oz., 
scammony 1 oz., Barb, aloes. 2 oz., castile soap J^ oz., oil pep- 
permint 2 fl. dr., water sufficient. 

Garfield Tea. — This consists chiefly of senna leaves and 
couch grass. 

Holloway's Pills. — Aloes 2 dr., rhubarb 1 dr., capsicum 20 
gr., saffron 5 gr., sulphate of soda 5 gr. 

Dehaut's Purgative Pills consist of scammony resin, pow- 
dered rhubarb root, and the extracts of colocynth and dan- 
dandelion root. They are coated with red-colored sugar. 

Morrison's Pills. — Each pill weighs 2^ grains ; they consist 
of equal parts of aloes, colocynth, and cream tartar ; those i» 
boxes marked No. 2 contain, besides these ingredients, gamboge. 

Hamburg Drops. — Powdered Socotrine aloes 1% oz., Amer- 
ican saffron l / 2 oz., tincture of myrrh 16 oz. 

R. V. Pierce's Pleasant Purgative Pellets.— Each little 
bottle contains from 28 to 36 small sugar-coated pills of unequal 
size, and weighing in all, from 18 to 22 grains. Their cathartic 
effect is due solely to podophyllin, the resin of the root of the 
May apple. 

Helmbold's Buchu. — This much advertised nostrum con- 
tains buchu, uva ursi, licorice root, caramel, molasses, cubebs, 
alcohol, peppermint, and water. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 367 

Wayne's Diuretic Elixir.— Potass, acetate 3 oz., fl. ext. 
buchu 3 oz., fl. ext. juniper 1% oz., simple sirup sufficient to 
make 1 pint. 

Warner's Safe Cure.— According to the Druggist s\ Circular, 
the following formula resembles this secret preparation : Ni- 
trate potash 320 gi\, liverwort 1 oz., alcohol 2 oz., glycerine 
\ l / 2 oz., essence of wintergreen 40 drops, water sufficient to 
make 16 fl. oz. 

Another authority gives the following formula : Fl. ext. bu- 
chu, fl. ext. Pareira brava, fl. ext. mandrake, fl. ext. leptandrin, 
spirits nitre, dulc, oil juniper, bicarb, potassa, sirup orange 
peel. 



AGUE CURES. 

Many people are under the false impression 
that ague, or other forms of malarial disease, 
may be better combated by some patent nos- 
trum which claims to be able to accomplish 
what no medicine can do, than by the employ- 
ment of the remedies usually prescribed by qual- 
ified physicians. The folly of trusting to these 
popular nostrums is well shown by a perusal of 
the following analyses of popular ague cures. 
The first five mentioned were made a number 
of years ago by O. L. Churchill, an unrivaled 
chemist. It will be noticed that all the nos- 
trums in the list, with the exception of two, 
contain quinine. One of these, Rhode's, con- 
tains practically nothing, its ingredients being 
simply a solution of iron with a little animal 
charcoal added. Another, ' ' Febriline, " which 



368 THE HOUSEHOLD 

claims to be a tasteless sirup of quinine, con- 
tains no quinine at all, but other substances, 
such as cinchona bark, which are of similar 
nature. 

Ayer's Ague Cure. — Each bottle contains six ounces of a 
dark red sirupy liquid, with a slight white sediment, a very 
bitter taste, and an odor of wintergreen oil. It consists of an 
alcoholic tincture of cinchona bark, with the addition of about 
three grains of quinoidine and three grains of sulphate of cin- 
chonine for each fluid ounce, dissolved by the aid of sulphuric 
acid ; it is sweetened with sugar and flavored with oil of winter- 
green. The white sediment is sulphate of lime. 

Jayne's Ague Mixture. — Each bottle contains 7^ fluid ounces 
of a mixture having the odor and taste of rhubarb, dandelion, 
and common molasses. It contains sulphate of quinine and 
traces of other cinchona alkaloids, but not enough to render the 
mixture very bitter. 

Rhode's Fever and Ague Cure, or Antidote to Malaria.— 

Each bottle contains 12 fluid ounces of a black turbid liquid, 
having a sweet and astringent taste. The sediment, filling 
about one third of the bottle after standing, is powdered an- 
imal charcoal, while the solution is nothing but sweetened 
water with a little tincture of chloride of iron, with the addi- 
tion of a little sulphate of iron (copperas). 

Willioft's Anti-Periodic Fe?er and Ague Cure.— Each bottle 
contains four fluid ounces of a thin, dark-red liquid, with the 
odor of cinchona bark, and a very bitter and acid taste. It 
consists of an infusion of cinchona bark made with water, and 
the addition of a solution of sulphate of quinine in aromatic 
sulphuric acid. Each fluid ounce contains 3 grains of sulphate 
of quinine. 

Christie's Ague Mixture. — Each bottle contains 7 fluid 
ounces of a very dark, sirupy liquid, one fourth filled with 
sediment, and having a very bitter and peppery taste and the 
odor of common molasses. The sediment is powdered Spanish 
pepper and a little resinous matter. The solution consists of 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 369 

a tincture of cinchona bark, with the addition of sulphate of 
cinchonine and common molasses. 

Febriline. — According to the Druggists' Circular, " Febri- 
line, or Tasteless Sirup of Amorphous Quinine," manufactured 
by the Paris Medicine Co., of Paris, Tenn., contains no quinine 
at all, although the label of each bottle states that it contains 
24 grains of quinine. 

Hamlet's Ague Pills. — Sulph. quinine 2 dr. , powdered myrrh 
1 dr., powdered capsicum 1 dr. 

Kreyder's Ague Pills.— Sulph. quinine 20 gr. Dover's pow- 
der 10 gr., sub. carb. iron 10 gr. 

Begg's Fever and Ague Pills. — According to New Idea, 
these pills contain 1 grain of sulphate quinine, y 2 grain cin- 
chona, 1 grain rhubarb, and a little flavoring. 
- Anti-Chill Pills. — Chinoidine, oil black pepper, ferrocyanide 
of iron, arsenious acid. 

Osgood's Cholagogue, or Celebrated Ague Cure.— Sulph. 
quinine, fl. ext. leptandrin, saturated tinct. of queen's root, 
fl. ext. podophyllin, oil sassafras, oil wintergreen. 



BLOOD REMEDIES. 

The popular notion that the blood is to be 
purified by putting some sort of nasty medicine 
into it, has created a demand for a vast number 
of remedies which are claimed to possess a mar- 
velous potency in the purification of the vital 
fluid. The majority of these remedies are of a 
very pernicious nature, especially when used for 
any considerable length of time, effecting great 
injury, particularly to the stomach and kidneys. 
The danger of swallowing secret nostrums of this 



3/0 THE HOUSEHOLD 

character will be readily appreciated by a perusal 
of the following formulas : — 

Bull's Blood Sirup. — Iodide of potash 12 dr., red iodide of 
itlercury 2 gr., tincture of poke root 3 dr., comp. sirup of stil- 
lingia 6 oz., simple sirup, to make 1 pt. 

Clark's Blood Mixture. — Iodide of potassium 64 gr., chloric 
ether 4 dr. , liquor potash 30 drops, water 7^ fl. oz. Caramel 
to color. 

Cuticura Resolvent. — According to the S(. Louis Druggist, 
this preparation is said to be : aloes, Socot. 1 dr., rhubarb, pow- 
dered, 1 dr., iodide potass. 36 gr., whiskey 1 pt. 

Sirup of Stillingia Compound. — Fl. ext. Stillingia comp. 
1 fl. oz., fl. ext. corydalis 1 fl. oz., fl. ext. blue flag l /t fl. oz., 
fl. ext. elder flowers }& fl. oz., fl. ext. prince's pine y 2 fl. oz., 
fl. ext. prickly ash berries % fl. oz., fl. ext. coriander %. fl. oz., 
sugar 14 oz., water sufficient to make 1 pint. 

Hartley's South American Cure. — This nostrum, which the 
manufacturers claim to be composed of roots, herbs, seeds, 
barks, and flowers growing exclusively in South America, was 
found by New Idea to be composed of ' ' fluid extract of rhu- 
barb 8 parts, fluid licorice and anise each 2 parts, fluid capsi- 
cum Yi part, fluid aloes ]/(, part, alcohol 6 parts, water enough 
to make 32 parts, to which a small percentage of sodium bicar- 
bonate is added." This is a fair sample of the composition of 
remedies which are claimed to be made of choice foreign herbs. 

Hunter's Red Drops. — Corrosive sublimate 10 gr.. muriatic 
acid 12 drops, compound spirits of lavender 1 oz. 

Dr. Radway's Renovating Resolvent. — Potassium iodide 
i.5grm., con. sarsaparilla decoction 15 grm., bitter almond water 
10 grm., sirup 30 grm., Parrish's simple elixir 90 grm., distilled 
water 250 grm., caramel sufficient to color. 

Elixir of Life. — Powdered rhubarb, powdered ginger, pow- 
dered aloes, powdered gum myrrh, powdered cayenne, pow- 
dered saffron, powdered sassafras bark, powdered golden-seal 
root, brandy or whiskey. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 37 1 

Perry's Compound Sarsaparilla Blood Purifier.— Turkey- 
corn root 2 lb., stillingia root 2 lb., sarsaparilla root 2 lb., yel- 
low-dock root 2 lb., sassafras bark 1 lb., simple sirup 2 gal., di- 
luted alcohol 32 pints, iodide potassa 2 lb., water sufficient to 
make 6 gal. 

Jayne's Alterative. — Tartar emetic 4 gr., spirits of camphor 
1 fl. dr., fluid extract of ipecac 4 drops., laudanum 2 fl. dr., 
tinct. of lobelia 1 fl. dr., sirup of tolu 12 fl. dr., tinct. of dig- 
italis 1 fl. dr., sirup squills 2 fl. oz. 

Mother Siegel's Sirup. — Cone, decoction of aloes (1 to 4) of 
drops, borax 1.3 grm., capsicum, powdered 0.13 grm., gentian, 
powdered 2.3 grm., sassafras oil 0.3 grm., wintergreen oil 0.12 
grm., rectified spirit 7.5 grm., fluid extract dandelion 7.5 grm., 
sirup 125 grm. 

August Flower. — Rhubarb, golden seal, cape aloes, pepper- 
mint leaves, carbonate of potassa, capsicum, sugar, alcohol, 
water, ess. peppermint. 

LaTille's GrOUt Cure. — Quinine 7.7 gr., cinchonine 9.3 gr., 
colocynthin 3.8 gr., lime salts 7.6 gr., coloring matter 4.6 gr., 
alcohol 3)^ fl. dr., water 2J/3 fl. dr., port wine 1234.0 fl. dr. 



PAIN KILLERS. 

t 
The uneducated or unthinking person, when 
suffering pain, cares only for relief from pain, 
without consideration of the means by which 
the relief shall come, or of the relation of the 
remedy to the causes by which the pain may be 
produced. Pain is not in itself a disease, it is 
only a symptom. To relieve pain by the use of 
a narcotic of some sort, is simply an obscuring 
of the indication which nature is holding out for 
the purpose of calling attention to some morbid 



372 THE HOUSEHOLD 

condition which needs to be relieved, of which 
the pain is merely a sign, and not the thing itself. 
We herewith present analyses of a large number 
of popular ' ' pain-killers, " which we have gathered 
from a variety of reliable sources. Pain should 
be relieved by the removal of the cause, not by 
the ' ' knock-down argument " of a narcotic. ' ' Pain- 
killers " are among the most pernicious of drugs, 
and often aggravate and perpetuate the very mal- 
adies for which they are used. In hundreds of 
instances the opium habit has been acquired by 
the use of these narcotic nostrums. Thousands 
of babies have been killed by the employment of 
these dangerous "quieting potions." 

Chlorodyne. — Chloroform i dr., morphia 5 gr., ether l / 2 dr., 
oil peppermint 4 drops, dil. hydrocyanic acid 1 dr., tinct. cap- 
sici 1 dr., molasses 10 dr., ext. licorice 15 gr. 

Yellow Family Drops.— Opium 2 oz., sapo venet 1 lb., 
croci opt. i l / 2 oz. , sp. rosemarini 2 lb. 

Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Sirup.— This nostrum comes in 
vials containing 1% fluid ounces; it consists of sugar sirup 
strongly flavored with an alcoholic tincture of fennel, anise, 
and a little caraway seed, or an alcoholic solution of their es- 
sential oils, with or without an admixture of solution of sul- 
phate of morphine in various quantities. While recently it 
has been found not always to contain morphine, at times as 
much as one half of a grain and more has been found contained 
in each fluid ounce of the sirup, as often reported in the course 
of years in medical and pharmaceutical journals. In regard to 
the dangers of this nostrum, which conceals morphine under a 
legitimate designation, and offers it for administration to in- 
fants, a medical writer in the Pacific Medical and Surgical your- 
nal, remarks: "It would be scarcely possible to estimate the 
number of children which it sends to the grave before they 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 373 

reach their second year. Another still graver question is : How 
much of the physical disease, drunkenness, degradation, and 
vice, and how many of the weakened intellects, are due to the 
use of the soothing sirup in infancy ?" 

Coaline Headache Powders. — The manufacturers guarantee 
these powders to cure sick headache, neuralgia, and effects due 
to exposure to the sun, fatigue, and alcoholic excesses. It is 
guaranteed to contain no opium, chloral, morphine, or other 
narcotics, to be perfectly harmless and to leave no after- 
effects. An analysis made by New Idea shows the powders to 
consists chiefly of antipyrine, a newly discovered and very 
powerful substance derived from coal tar. It relieves pain, but 
has a most depressing effect upon the heart, and is a dangerous 
remedy, except in the hands of a wise physician. 

Flagg's Relief. — Oil of cloves, about 1 dr., oil of sassafras, 
about 2 dr., spirits of camphor, about i^j dr. 

Stedman's Soothing Powders. — Opium pulv. 3 gr., ipecac 
1 gr., milk sugar 8 gr., rice flour 12 gr. 

Fosgate's Anodyne Cordial.— Fl. ext. rhubarb 5 fl. dr., fl. 
ext. rhatany 2 fl. dr., fl. ext. ginger 6 minims., paregoric 1 fl. 
dr., simple sirup 1 fl. dr., dilute alcohol 5 fl. dr. 

Senckenberg's Migraine Pastilles.— Antipyrine 4^ gr., 
antifebrin 7^ gr., rhubarb ^ gr., calamus ^ gr., cinchona 
% gr- 

Eephalgine. — Antipyrine 5 parts, roasted coffee 5 parts, 
caffeine 2 parts, salicylate of sodium 2 parts. 

Lavarre's Sure Cure.— Each bottle of this remedy is said 
to contain ' ' the virtues of two pounds of the choicest barks 
and herbs ! " It is claimed to be a sure cure for neuralgia, 
rheumatism, toothache, headache, backache, and all diseases 
of the nervous system. Here is the composition, according to 
New Idea : fl. ext. poke berries 80 minims, fl. ext. sassafras 
40 minims, liquid ammonia, caustic 5 minims, sodium bromide 
20 gr., alcohol y^ fl. oz., oil peppermint 1 minim, powdered 
cochineal 4 gr., white sugar 3 dr. Troy, water (enough to make) 
4 fl. oz. 



374 THE HOUSEHOLD 

Radway's Ready Relief.— 2^ fluid ounces (in a 50 ct. bot- 
tle) of a light brown liquid consisting of 2 ounces of soap lin- 
iment, 2 drams alcoholic tincture of Spanish pepper, and 2 
drams of strong aqua ammonia (hartshorn). 

Lindsey's Pain Cure. —Alcohol 4 oz., ethereal oil of wine 4 
dr., tinct. of capsicum and myrrh, 4 oz., spirits camphor 4 oz., 
oil hemlock 2 oz., oil cinnamon 1 dr., oil sassafras 1 oz., oil 
cloves 4 dr., ether 2 oz., chloroform 2 oz., sweet spirits of 
nitre 4 oz., chloral hydrate 2 oz., lard oil 4 oz., oil cedar 4 oz., 
oil origanum 1 oz., oil wintergreen 2 dr. 

Quick Stop for Headaches. — This remedy consists of a mixt- 
ure of camphor with some greenish coloring matter. Each 
dose contains about one fourth grain of cocaine, a most 
seductive drug, which might easily lead to a contraction of 
the cocaine habit, which is, if possible, ten times worse than 
the morphia habit. 

Little Hop Pills. — Recommended for headache, biliousness, 
weak nerves, dyspepsia, constipation, deranged liver, and gen- 
eral debility. Podophyllin 3 gr., ext. colocynth 6 gr., oil pep- 
permint 1 drop, ext. rhubarb sufficient for 12 pills. 

Powell's Balm of Anise Seed. — Similar to paregoric, the 
camphor being left out, and extract of licorice and anise seed 
oil added. 

Papine. — This preparation is simply a deodorized tincture 
of opium. Each teaspoonful represents more than a grain 
of opium. It needs no comment to enable the reader to rec- 
ognize the dangerous character of this nostrum. 

Pope's Cure for Nenralgia. — Iodide potash 4 dr., ext. 
conium 1 dr., comp. tinct. cinchona 2 fl. oz., sirup sarsaparilla 
4 fl. oz. 

Parson's Local Anaesthetic. — Chloroform 12 parts, tinct. 
aconite 12 parts, tinct. capsicum 4 parts, tinct. pyrethrum 2 
parts, oil cloves 2 parts, camphor 2 parts. 

Perry Davis's Pain Killer.— Gum myrrh 2.%. lb., capsicum 
10 oz., gum opium 8 oz., gum benzoin 6 oz., gum guiac 3 oz., 
gum camphor 10 oz., alcohol 5 gal. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 375 

Bromidia. — Bromidia potassa, chloral hydrate, solid ext. 
hyoscyamus, solid ext. cannabis indica, alcohol, soft water. 

German 'Rheumatic Remedy. — Wine colchicum, tinct. 
•pium, spirits nitre, dulc. 



CATARRH CURES 

The reader will notice in a perusal of the fol- 
lowing analyses of popular remedies for catarrh, 
that none of them contain other than the sim- 
plest and most common ingredients, the use of 
which has long been known to the regular pro- 
fession : — 

Ely's Cream Balm. — Vaseline 1 oz., thymol 3 gr., carb. 
bismuth 15 gr. , oil wintergreen 2 minims. 

Wei de Meyer's Catarrh Cure. — According to New Idea, 
this much-vaunted remedy consists simply of bicarbonate of 
soda. The first cost of the contents of a single box is about 
one tenth of a cent. The retail price is $1.50. 

Hall's Catarrh Cure. — New Idea is also authority for the 
following analysis of this popular remedy : Gentian root in 
coarse powder 1% oz., bitter orange peel in coarse powder 5 
dr., cardamom seeds in coarse powder 100 gr., potassium iodide 
1 oz., dilute alcohol sufficient. 

Dr. Sykes's Catarrh Cure. — According to a Canadian 
chemist, this remedy consists of chlorate of potash and pow- 
dered licorice root, flavored with wintergreen. 

Sanford's Radical Cure for Catarrh.— An analysis made 
by Prof. Lyons shows this nostrum to consist of distilled extract 
of witch hazel, with alcohol, glycerine, morphia, nitre, and 
bicarbonate of soda. 

Saul's Catarrh Remedy. — Comp. tinct. benzoin 2 oz., tinct. 
tolu 2 oz., chloroform 1 dr., sulphuric ether 1 dr., aromatic 
spirits ammonia 1 oz., oil tar 1 dr., rectified spirits 5 oz. 



37^ THE HOUSEHOLD 

Sage's Catarrh Remedy.— Dr. Sage, who sold the prescrip- 
tion to Dr. Pierce, the Buffalo quack, is himself authority for 
the following formula : Powdered hydrastis canadensis i oz., 
powdered borax 10 gr., salt 10 gr. , ferro-cyanuret of iron 
sufficient to color. 



EYE REMEDIES. 

Certainly a great amount of mischief has been 
done by the use of eye waters, §alves, etc. , manu- 
factured and sold as cure-alls for a great vari- 
ety of maladies to which the eye is subject. A 
knowledge of the nature of these remedies, most 
of which contain drugs of the most dangerous 
character, should be a sufficient warning against 
their use. 

Becker's Eye Salve.— Calamine i x / z dr., tutty i l / 2 dr., red 
oxide mercury 6 dr., camphcr in powder i dr., almond oil 
i dr., white wax \y z oz., fresh butter 8 oz. 

Thompson's Eye Water. — Sulphate copper io gr. sulphate 
zinc 40 gr., rose-water 2 pts, tinct. saffron 4 dr., tinct. camphor 
4 dr. 

Golden Eye Water. — Sulphate hydrastia 2 gr. , distilled 
water 1 oz. 

Petit's Eye Salve. — Olive oil 4 dr., spermaceti 1^ dr., 
white wax y 2 dr. 

Mitchell's Eye Salve. — Saxoline, snow white, 350 gr., white 
wax 130 gr., oxide zinc 45 gr., oxide mercury 5 gr., oil of 
lavender 10 drops. 

Egyptian Eye Salve. — White resin 6 dr., Burgundy pitch 
30 gr., beeswax 30 gr., mutton tallow 30 gr., Venice turpentine 
30 gr., balsam fir 30 gr. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 377 

HAIR DYES, RESTORA- 
TIVES, ETC. 

These nostrums almost invariably contain lead, 
and numerous cases of lead poisoning and paraly- 
sis have resulted from their use. The following 
analyses are from reliable sources : — 

Allan's World's Hair Restorer.— Sulphur 6 parts, acetate 
lead 8 parts, glycerine 100 parts, water, flavored, 200 parts. 

Hall's Hair Kenewer. — Sulphur precipitated 1 dr., lead 
acetate 1 dr., salt 2 dr., glycerine 8 fl. oz., bay rum 2 fl. oz., 
Jamaica rum 4 fl. oz., water 16 fl. oz. 

Skinner's Dandruff Mixture. — Chloral hydrate 1 part, glyc- 
erine 4 parts, bay rum 16 parts. 

Ayer's Hair Yigor. — Acetate lead 3 parts, flowers sulphur 
2 parts, glycerine 14 parts, water 80 parts. 

Seven Sutherland Sisters' Hair Grower.— Advertised as 
"a sure hair promoter." According to the analysis made by 
New Idea, its composition is as follows : Stearns's bay rum 7 fl. 
oz., dist. ext. witch hazel 9 fl. oz., common salt 1 dr., hydro- 
chloric acid (5 per cent) 1 drop, magnesia sufficient. 

Lyon's Kathairon. — Castor oil 1 fl. oz., tinct. cantharides 
1 fl. dr., oil bergamot 20 minims, stronger water of ammonia 
1 drop, alcohol sufficient to make 3 fl. oz. 



DENTIFRICES. 

Many of these preparations contain harmful 
ingredients. In more than one instance the 
teeth have been irreparably damaged by their 



37 8 THE HOUSEHOLD 

use. Not long since we examined a preparation 
which had been extensively peddled about the 
country, and found it to consist simply of hy- 
drochloric acid dissolved in water. This remedy, 
when applied to the teeth, quickly removed the 
tartar, but would also destroy the enamel. 

Brown's Camphorated Saponaceous Dentine.— The com- 
position of this nostrum, according to New Idea, is 71 parts of 
chalk, and 29 parts of soap and camphor. 

Van Buskirk's Fragrant Sozodont.— The following form- 
ula is said to produce an article identical in all essential feat- 
ures : Alcohol 1 fl. oz., water 1% A- oz., soap 120 gr., oil of 
wintergreen 2 minims, red saunders sufficient. 

Fragrant Sozodont Powder.— Infusorial earth 40 parts, 
precipitated chalk 200 parts, orris root 125 parts, flavor with 
oil cloves. 

Calder's Saponaceous Dentine.— Chalk 56 parts, soap 44 
parts, flavor with wintergreen. 



CORN CURES. 

Liebig's Corn Cure.— Extract of cannabis indica 5 parts, 
salicylic acid 30 parts, collodion 240 parts. To be applied with 
a camel's-hair pencil four nights and mornings in succession, 
until a thick coating is formed. 

Hanson Magic Corn Cure.— Lard 1 oz., salicylic acid 1 dr. 

Triumph Corn Plaster.— Guaranteed to be a sure cure, with 
no pain and no trouble. This is simply a cheap plaster to 
which is added a mixture of resin 3 parts, balsam fir 2 parts, 
and salicylic acid 5 parts. The salicylic acid dissolves the 
corn. 

Rogers's Excelsior Corn Cure.— Fluid ext. cannabis indica 
1 dr., sulph. morphine 20 gr., salicylic acid 10 gr., collodion to 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 379 

make 2 fl. oz. In using, the corn is pared down thin, the mixt- 
ure is then applied until a thick coat is formed. When the 
coating comes off, the corn comes away with it, or can be easily 
picked out. 

Corn Cure. — Tannin 30 grains, tmct. iodine, acetic acid, 
glycerine, each 1 dram. 



LINIMENTS AND OINTMENTS. 

Carpenter's Liniment. — Chloroform, olive oil, aqua ammo- 
»ia, sulp. morphia, alcohol. 

Loomis's Liniment. — Alcohol, aqua ammonia, oil origanum, 
gum camphor, opium, gum myrrh, common salt. 

Good Samaritan Liniment. — Oil sassafras, oil hemlock, 
spirits turpentine, tinct. cayenne, tinct. guaiac, tinct. opium, 
«f each 1 oz. ; tinct. myrrh 4 oz., oil origanum 2 oz., oil win- 
tergreen y 2 oz., gum camphor 2 oz., chloroform 1% oz., alco- 
hol y 2 gal. 

Fluid Lightning. — Aconitin 1 gr., essential oil of mustard 
1 dr., glycerine 1 oz., alcohol 4 oz. 

Magnetic Liniment. — Tinct. cantharides 2 dr., oil origanum 
1 oz., mur. ammonia 2 dr., sulph. ether 1 oz., alcohol 1 pt. 

German Liniment. — Oil origanum 1 oz., oil sassafras, 1 oz., 
gum camphor Y oz., Granville's lotion 3 dr., chloroform 3^ 
dr., tinct. aconite Y oz., tinct. capsicum y 2 oz., camp, soap lini- 
ment 1 oz., alcohol Yz gal. 

Chapman's Liniment. — Balsam fir 1 oz., oil sassfras 1 >£ 
oz., oil hemlock ^ oz., oil cedar ]/ 2 oz., sweet spts. nitre 1 oz., 
tinct. guaiac 1 oz., sulph. ether 1 oz., oil wintergreen 2 oz., 
gum camphor^ oz., chloroform 1 oz., tinct. capsicum 2oz., 
oil origanum ^ oz., oil turpentine 2 dr., oil wormwood Yz oz., 
fi. ext. hydrastis J^ oz., alcohol Yz S 3 -^- 

Bareel's Indian Liniment.— Tinct. capsicum 1 dr., oil or- 
iganum, oil sassafras, oil pennyroyal, oil hemlock, of each Y 
oz. ; alcohol 1 qt. 



380 THE HOUSEHOLD 

Eclectic Stillingia Liniment for Croup. — Oil stillingia 
8 dr., oil cajeput 4 dr., oil lobelia 2 dr., alcohol 16 dr. 

Thomas's Electric Oil. — Gum camphor 4 dr., oil gaultheria 
4 dr., oil origanum 4 dr., chloroform 1 oz., tinct. opium 1 oz., 
oil sassafras 1 oz., oil hemlock 1 oz., oil turpentine 1 oz., bal- 
sam fir 1 oz., tinct. guaiacum 1 oz., tinct. catechu 1 oz., alco- 
hol 4 pt., alkanet sufficient to color. 

Liniment for Man and Beast. — Powdered myrrh 1 oz., pow- 
dered aloes 1 oz., balsam fir 1 Troy oz., alcohol 8 fl. oz. 

Godfrey's Cordial. — Tinct. opium, molasses, alcohol, water, 
carb. potassa, oil sassafras. 

Barker's Bone and Xerre Liniment. — Recommended for 
man and beast. Camphor 70 gr., oil tar ^ fl. dr., oil thyme 

1 fl. dr., oil turpentine 2 fl. dr., Franklin oil (black oil, lubricat- 
ing oil) sufficient to make 2 fl. oz. 

Metz's Balsam. — Linseed oil 180 parts, olive oil 180 parts, 
oil laurel berries 30 parts, turpentine (oleo-resin) 60 parts, 
powdered aloes 8 parts, powdered verdigris 12 parts, powdered 
white vitriol 6 parts, oil juniper 15 parts, oil cloves 4 parts. 

Wilson's Lightning Liniment. — Oil cedar 3 oz., oil sassa- 
fras3 0z., tinct. opium 3 oz., tinct. guaiac3 0z., tinct. capsicum 

3 oz., aqua ammonia 4 oz., spirits camphor 4 oz., spirits tur- 
pentine 4 oz., chloroform 3 oz., alcohol 1 gal. 

Brodie's Liniment. — Sulphuric acid 1 dr., olive oil 1 oz., 
turpentine 1 oz. 

Tobias's Venetian Liniment. — Spirits ammonia 5 parts, 
camphor 2 parts, tinct. capsicum 5 parts, alcohol 34 parts, 
water 10 parts. 

Hamlin's Wizard Oil. — Tinct. camphor 1 oz., aqua am- 
monia x / 2 oz., oil sassafras y z oz., oil cloves 1 dr., chloroform 

2 dr., turpentine 1 dr., alcohol 3^ oz. 

Oil of Gladness. — Oil marjoram 1 fl. dr., oil peppermint 
1 fl. dr., oil horsemint 1 fl. dr., ether 2 fl. dr., tinct. of capsicum 

4 fl. dr., tinct. of opium 1 fl. dr., tinct. of red saunders 1 fl. dr., 
alcohol, sufficient quantity to make 8 fl. oz. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 38 1 

Centaur Liniment (for Man). — Oil pennyroyal y, oz., oil 
thyme % oz., oil turpentine % oz., soap 130 gr., caustic soda 
10 gr., water to make 1 pt. 

Centaur Liniment (for Beast). — Oil spearmint 1 dr., oil 
mustard 15 minims, oil turpentine % oz -< °il amber (crude) 
]/z oz., black oil yi oz., soap 130 gr., caustic soda 10 gr., water 
to make 1 pt. 

California Liniment. — Tinct. myrrh 1 oz., tinct. capsicum 

1 oz., sweet spirits nitre 1 oz., sulph. ether 1 oz., chloroform 
^ oz., tinct. arnica 1 oz., oil spearmint 2 dr., oil wintergreen 

2 dr., oil lobelia 1 dr., aqua ammonia l / z oz., alcohol 1 qt. 

Gum's Rheumatic Liniment consists of one oz., each of 
linseed oil, oil of cedar, and oil of amber, and one half oz. 
each of olive oil, turpentine, and laudanum. 

Nerve and Bone Liniment. — Oil origanum 4 oz., oil rose- 
mary 4 oz., oil amber 4 oz., oil hemlock 4 oz., turpentine 
4 pts., linseed oil 6 pts. 

Green Wonder Oil. — Terebinth Venet. 4 oz., zinci sulphat 
15 gr., cupri acetat iy 2 oz., bals. Peru 1 dr., ol. olivae 1 lb., 
ol. lini. 1 lb. 

Mexican Mustang Liniment. — Oil turpentine y dr., oil 
thyme ^ dr., oil amber (crude) y z dr., black oil 1 dr., kerosene 
oil 3 dr., water 3 oz. 2 dr., soap 35 gr., caustic potash 3 gr. 

Great London Ointment. — Acetate of morphia 10 gr., chlo- 
roform 1 oz., olive oil 1 oz., water of ammonia 1 oz. 

Low's Magnetic Liniment. — Oil turpentine 90 parts, tinct. 
capsicum 120 parts, spirits camphor 960 parts, stronger water 
of ammonia 90 parts, alcohol (sp. gr. 820) 180 parts, oil sassa- 
fras 6 parts, fl. ext. sassafras 40 parts. 

Giles's Iodide of Ammonia Liniment.— Iodine 1 dr., cam- 
phor 1 oz., oil rosemary ^ oz., oil lavender y 2 oz., aqua am- 
monia 4 oz., alcohol 2 pts. 

Listerine. — Acid boric 2 dr., acid benzoic 2 dr., dissolve in 
water 64 oz., fl. ext. baptisia 4 dr., menthol 2 dr., oil eucalyptus 

3 dr. , oil gaultheria J^ dr. , dissolve in alcohol 64 oz. 



382 THE HOUSEHOLD 

"That Liniment." — Oil turpentine 1 oz., oil spike 1 oz., 
oil origanum 1 oz., Barbadoes tar 2 dr., spirits camphor ^ dr. 

St. John Long's Liniment. — Yolks of eggs 8, oil turpentine 
24 fl. oz., acetic acid 16 fl. oz., water 24 fl. oz. 

Genuine White Oil Liniment. — Ammonia carbonate 19 
parts, camphor 20 parts, oil turpentine 21 parts, oil origanum 
20 parts, castile soap 19 parts, water to make 300 parts (by 
weight). 

Kitchell's Liniment. — Water ammonia 1 part, water 3 parts, 
caramel to color. 

J. L. St. John's Liniment. — Turpentine 7 oz., sweet oil 

3 oz., tinct. arnica 4 oz., oil origanum 1 oz., oil hemlock 1 oz., 
oil juniper 1 oz., oil amber 2 oz., laudanum 2 oz., spirits am- 
monia l / 2 oz., camphor l / z oz. 

Gargling Oil. — Crude petroleum 13 fl. oz., ammonia water 
6 fl. oz., soft soap 16 fl. oz. benzine 16 fl. oz., crude oil amber 
2 fl. oz., tincture iodine 1 fl. oz., water 5 pts. 

Eickapoo Indian Oil. — Camphor y z oz. Troy, oil turpentine 
1 fl. dr., oil peppermint ]/z fl. dr., oil wintergreen ]/ 2 fl. dr., 
tinct. capsicum yi fl. oz., alcohol sufficient to make 1 pt. 

St. Jacobs' Oil. — Gum camphor 1 oz., chloral hydrate 1 oz., 
chloroform 1 oz., sulph. ether 1 oz., tinct. opium ^ oz., oil 
origanum y 2 oz., oil sassafras ^ oz., alcohol y 2 gal. 

Oil of Spike. — Petroleum Barbadoes 4 oz., spirits turpentine 

4 oz., oil linseed 1 pt., oil seneca 4 oz. 

Favorite Liniment. — Black oil 2 oz., alcohol 3 oz., tinct. 
arnica 2 oz., British oil 2 oz., oil of tar 1 oz. 

Opodeldoc Liniment. — Alcohol 1 qt. gum camphor 1 oz., 
sal. ammoniac % oz -. oil wormwood y 2 oz., oil origanum ^ 
oz., oil rosemary ^ oz., soft soap 6 oz. 

Roche's Herbal Embrocation. — Specially recommended as 
an effectual remedy for whooping-cough. Is said to be the 
only remedy affording a permanent recovery. According to 
the Western Druggist, this remedy consists of asafetida, olive 
oil, oil of caraway, and oil of turpentine, flavored with oil of 
wintergreen. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 383 

Kendall's Spavin Cure. — Turpentine 1 fl. oz., alcohol 2 fl. 
oz., camphor 240 gr., iodine 25 gr., petroleum oil (heavy) 
Yz fl. dr., oil of rosemary 1 fl. dr. 

Heave's Embrocation. — Olive oil 1 y z oz., aq. ammonia 

1 oz., Goulard's ext. of lead 1 oz., oil origanum 2 oz. 

Elliman's Royal Embrocation. — Oil turpentine y z oz., oil 
thyme y oz., oil amber, crude y% oz., soap 130 gr., caustic 
soda 10 gr., water sufficient 1 pt. 

Oil of Joy. — Alcohol 4 pts., gum camphor y 2 oz., oil of sas- 
safras 1 oz., oil of cedar 1 oz., tinct. of guaiac 1 oz., tinct. of 
capsicum 2 oz., water of ammonia 4 oz., chloroform 3 oz. 

Cook's Electro-Magnetic Liniment. — Alcohol 1 gal., oil 
amber 8 oz., gum camphor 8 oz., castile soap (fine) 2 02., beef's 
gall 4 oz., aqua ammonia 12 oz. 

Great African Wonder. — Alcohol 4 pts., oil sassafras ■$% 
oz., oil origanum 3% oz., spirits camphor $%, oz., tinct. opium 

2 oz. t chloroform 2 oz., turpentine 2 oz., vinegar 2 oz. 

Pride of India Liniment.— Oil lini. % gal., gum camphor 
4 oz., oil sassafras 2 oz., spirits nitre 2 oz., alcohol 1 pt. 

Black Oil Liniment. — Sulph. acid 2 oz., nitric acid 1 oz., 
quicksilver y 2 oz. 

Trask's Magnetic Ointment. — Lard, raisins, fine-cut to- 
bacco, each equal parts. 

Black Salve. — Olive oil 32 oz., resin (clear) 1 oz., beeswax 
1 oz., Venice turpentine \ oz., red lead 6 oz., gum camphor 
(powdered) y. oz. 

Ointment of Iodoform. — Iodoform 1 dr., balsam Peru 1 dr., 
vaseline 1 oz. 

Sanative Ointment. — Mutton suet 16 oz., oil sesame 5 oz., 
oil origanum 1 oz., camphor 2 oz., resin 2 oz., yellow wax 2 oz., 
borax, powd. y oz., glycerine y 2 oz. 

Green Mountain Salve.— Resin 5 lb., Burgundy pitch, bees- 
wax, mutton tallow, of each % lb. ; oil of hemlock, balsam fir, 
oil origanum, oil red cedar, Venice turpentine, of each ioz.; 
oil wormwood ^ oz., verdigris (pulverized) 1 oz. 



384 THE HOUSEHOLD 

Sweet's Celebrated Ointment.— Skunks oil J4 pt., angle 
worms 1 pt., water y> pt., bitter-sweet 1 handful. 

Cram's Fluid Lightning. — Oil mustard 2 fl. dr., oil cajeput 
2 fl. dr., oil cloves 2 fl. dr., sassafras 2 fl. dr., ether 1 fl. oz., 
tinct. opium \ x / z fl. oz., alcohol 20 fl. oz. 

Deshler's Salve. — Resin 12 oz., suet 12 oz., yellow wax 12 oz., 
turpentine 6 oz., linseed oil 7 oz. 



PILE REMEDIES. 

We shall consider elsewhere the principal 
method employed by traveling quacks in the 
treatment of hemorrhoids, and other rectal dis- 
orders. We give herewith analyses of a few 
popular remedies for piles. 

Price's Pile Ointment.— English calomel 1 oz., powdered 
opium y 2 oz., pure carbonate lead 1 lb., oxide zinc 1 lb., olive 
oil 2 lb., fresh lard (without salt) 2 lb. 

Witch-Hazel Pile Ointment.— Tinct. hamamelis 12 dr., Ian- 
oleum 6 dr., petrolatum 16 oz 

Seeley's Pile Ointment. — Sulph. morphia 3 gr., tannin 48 
gr., pine tar 72 gr., white wax 72 gr., benzoated lard 766 gr. 

Rorick's Formula for Injecting Hemorrhoids.— Acid car- 
bolic 2 fl. dr., glycerine 2 fl. dr., aqua \ l /z fl. dr., fl. ext. ergot 
1 fl. dr. This is one of the secret remedies used for curing 
hemorrhoids by injection with a hypodermic syringe. This 
system is now generally acknowledged to be uncertain and dan- 
gerous. 

Upham's Pile Ointment. — Powdered galls, powdered sugar 
lead, powdered opium, simple cerate. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 385 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

Holloway's Pills. — Aloes, rhubarb, capsicum, saffron, sul- 
phate soda. 

Cook's Pills. — Powdered aloes, Soc, powdered rhubarb, cal- 
omel, powdered soap. 

Lady Webster's Dinner Pills. — Powdered Socotrine aloes, 
powdered mastic, red rose leaves. 

John Hill's Pectoral Balsam of Honey.— Each bottle holds 
i^ fluid ounces of a brown liquid consisting of a tincture of 9 
parts by weight of balsam tolu, 2 parts of prepared balsam of 
storax, and 1 part of opium in 300 fluid parts of strong alcohol, 
sweetened with 80 parts of clarified honey, 

Dalby's Carminative. — Each bottle contains i*/ 2 fluid ounces 
of a whitish turbid liquid consisting of % fluid ounce of strong 
alcohol, 1 drop oil of anise seed, 10 drops of tincture of asafet- 
ida, a few drops comp. tinct. cardamom and 10 drops of tincture 
of opium ; which mixture, when prepared, is added to a solu-. 
tion of 10 grains of bicarbonate of potash and ]/ z ounce of sugar 
in 1 fluid ounce of peppermint, or instead of the latter, in 

1 fluid ounce of water intimately mixed with 1 or 2 grains of 
carbonate of magnesia and one drop of oil of peppermint. 

Brandreth's Pills. — Each box contains 24 or 25 pills, each 
weighing about 2^ grains. The 24 pills consist of 10 grains of 
the root of May apple, 10 grains of the extract of the same, 30. 
grains of the extract of poke-berries, 10 grains powdered cloves, 

2 to 5 grains of gamboge, traces of Spanish saffron, and a few 
drops of oil of peppermint. 

Ayer's Cathartic Pills. —Each box contains 30 sugar-coated' 
pills, each weighing nearly 4 grains, and consisting of aloes, 
compound extract of colocynth, gamboge, Spanish pepper, and; 
oil of peppermint. 

Blancard's Pills. — These pills consist of iodide of iron-, 
honey, and the powders of licorice roots and marsh mallow 
roots. They are covered with powdered iron, and coated with 
balsam of tolu. Each pill contains about l X grain of iodide 
of iron. 

25 



386 THE HOUSEHOLD 

Franc's Life Pills. — Each box contains abont 50 two-grain 
pills, covered with silver-foil, and consisting of four parts, by 
weight, of aloes, and one part of gamboge. 

Pierce's Golden Medical Discovery.— 7 fl. oz. of a dark 
■bro""> liquid consisting r-f a solution of 1 dr. ext. of lettuce, 1 oz. 
honey, y 2 dr. tinct. opium in 3 oz. dilute alcohol, and 3 oz. wa- 
ter. 

Tropic Fruit Laxative. — Powd. senna leaves, powd. anise 
seed, tamarinds (pulp), molasses. 

Trix, or Jokes. — Powd. ext. licorice, oil cloves, oil cinna- 
mon. 

(Joe's Dyspeptic Cure. — Fl. ext. yellow root, fl. ext. wild 
cherry, bicarbonate soda, essence peppermint, simple sirup. 

Watt's Anti-Rheumatic Pills.— Powd. aloes 4 dr., powd. 
gamboge 4 dr., powd. hellebore 2 dr., powd. guaiac % dr., 
calomel )4 dr., precip. sulphide of antimony 15 gr., oil cloves 
)4 n. dr., soap 1 dr., spirits camphor sufficient. 

Arabian Balsam. — Oleum gossypium 15 oz., oleum origani 
1 oz., oleum terebinth 4 dr. 

Aseptin. — Borax 2 parts, alum 1 part. 

Thieleman's Cholera Mixture.— Oil peppermint 4 dr., chlo- 
roform 4 dr., fl. ext. ipecac 3^ dr., fl. ext. valerian 1% oz., 
tinct. opium, deod. 1^ oz., ether 2 oz., alcohol 6 oz., sherry 
wine sufficient to make 16 oz. 

Swayne's Ointment. — Claimed to be a cure for tetter, itch, 
saltrheum, scald head, piles, ringworm, pimples, blotches, bar- 
ber's itch, and all eruptions of the skin. According to New 
Idea, its composition is sulphur 2 parts, tallow and lard each 
3 parts. 

Athlophorus.— It is claimed that the following preparation 
can scarcely be distinguished for the proprietary article : ac- 
etate potash 1 dr., salicylate soda 490 gr., sugar 4 oz., caramel 
3 drops, water 14 fl. dr. 

Ayer's Sarsaparilla. — Fl. ext. sarsaparilla 3 oz., fl. ext. 
stillingia 3 oz., fl. ext. yellow dock 2 oz., fl. ext. May apple 
1 oz., sugar 1 oz. iodide potassium 90 gr., iodide iron 10 gr. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 387 

Barnes's Frost Balsam. — Copaiba ]/ z oz., oil turpentine 
Yz oz. 

Baunscheidt's Oil. — Croton oil 1 oz., cotton-seed oil4oz., 
oil caraway 2 minims. 

Swift's Syphilitic Specific— This remedy, claimed to have 
been obtained from a Florida Indian chief, is said to consist 
of the following ingredients : Oil man's gray-beard root (chion- 
anthus Virginica) 1 bushel, prickly-ash root 16 oz., white sumac 
root 8 oz., red sumac root 8 oz., sarsaparilla root 10 oz., sul : 
phate of copper 8 dr. 

Benson's Skin Cure. — This remedy is offered in two forms 
— for internal use and external application. The internal 
remedy is said to consist of clover blossoms, yellow-dock root, 
gentian root, and alcohol, flavored with oil rosemary and oil 
thyme. The external application is claimed by New Idea to 
consist of acetate of lead, acetate of copper, acetate of zinc, 
benzoic acid and water. It is warranted to cure all skin dis- 
eases, which of course it will not do. 

Strong's Arnica Jelly. — Glycerine 1 fl. oz., water 1 fl. oz., 
starch' 120 gr., fl. ext. arnica 2 fl. dr., spirits of bitter almonds 
(1 in 8) 2 minims, carbolic acid 8 minims. 

Boschee's German Sirup.— Oil of tar 1 fl. dr., fl. ext. ipecac 
4 fl. dr., fl. ext. wild cherry 6 fl. dr., tinct. of opium 4 fl. dr., 
carbonate of magnesia 3 dr., water 6 fl. oz., white sugar 10 oz. 

Bucklen's Arnica Salve. — Ext. arnica 1 oz., resin cerate 
8 oz., vaseline 2 oz., raisins, seedless, 8 oz., fine-cut tobacco 
y 2 oz., water sufficient. 

Smedley's Fever Powders. — Camphor gum % oz., gum 
myrrh % oz., blood -root 1 oz., lobelia (seeds, pods, leaves) 
2 oz. 

Seven Seals, or Golden Wonder. — Ether 4 parts, chloroform 
6 parts, camphor 4 parts, oil peppermint 2 parts, tinct. capsicum 
35 parts, alcohol (90 per cent) 50 parts. 

Castoria. — Senna 4 dr., manna 1 oz., Rochelle salt 1 oz., 
fennel, bruised, 1% dr., boiling water 8 fl. oz., sugar 8 oz., oil 
wintergreen sufficient. 



388 THE HOUSEHOLD 

Chamberlain's Relief.— Tinct. capsicum about i oz., spir- 
its camphor about % oz., tinct. guaiac about % oz < color 
tinct. to make 2 oz. 

Russia Salve. — White pine pitch 2 lb., beeswax 1 lb., olive 
oil sufficient. 

Celerina. — Fl. ext. celery 1 oz.. fl. ext. erythroxylon coca 

1 oz., fl. ext. viburn. prunifol 1 oz., fl. ext. kola 1 oz., alcohol 

2 oz., sugar 2 Troy oz., spirit orange 2 dr., water to make 
16 oz. 

Rex MagllUS. — Boric acid, borax 67 per cent, chloride potas- 
sium 15 per cent, water 18 per cent. 

Chamberlain's Colic, Cholera, and Diarrhea Remedy.— 

Tinct. capsicum 20 fl. dr., tinct camphor 16 fl. dr., tinct. guai- 
cum 12 fl. dr. 

Cobb's Pills. — Ext. hyoscyamus y dr., ext. conium y 2 dr., 
ext., colocynth y 2 gr., ext. nux vomica 4 gr. 

Ree's Cholera Mixture. — Spirits chloroform 12 oz., spirits 
lavender, comp. 12 oz., vin. opium 3 oz., oil of cloves 40 drops. 

Radam's Microbe Killer. — According to the Druggists' Cir- 
cular, Radam's Microbe Killer consists of the following ingre- 
dients : Sulphuric acid 4 dr., hydrochloric acid 1 dr., red wine 
1 oz., well water 1 gal. The first cost of these ingredients 
would be about five cents. The remedy sells for $3.00 a gal- 
lon. It is warranted to be a sure cure for microbes of every 
description, which Mr. Radam claims to be the cause of all dis- 
eases. Mr. Radam disputes the correctness of the analysis. 

Piatt's Chlorides. — Magnesium chloride xy z parts, potas- 
sium chloride 1^ parts, sodium chloride i^4 parts, zinc chloride 
"] x /i, parts, aluminum chloride y% parts, water sufficient quan- 
tity 100 parts. 

Morehead's Magnetic Plaster is said to be composed of 
tar and extract of belladonna, equal parts of each. 

Elixir Thion Compound.— Powdered rhubarb 5 oz., pow- 
dered golden seal 5 oz., sodium hypophosphite 100 gr., sodium 
sulpho-carbolate 40 gr., alcohol 5 pts., water 40 pts. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 389 

Espey's Cream. — Cydonium i>£ dr., ac. boric 4 gr., glycer- 
ine 2 oz., alcohol 3 oz., carbolic acid 10 gr., Cologne water 
2 dr. , rose water to make 1 pt. 

Miller's Golden Oil.— The formula for this remedy, which 
is recommended for both internal and external use, is given by 
New Idea as follows : Essential oil lavender 20 minims, essen- 
tial oil eucalyptus 20 minims, essential oil sassafras 20 minims, 
oil turpentine 1 fl. dr., cotton-seed oil 7 fl. dr. 

Gombault's Caustic Balsam.— Croton oil 4 fl. dr., cotton- 
seed oil 2 fl. oz., oil camphor 1 fl. dr., oil turpentine 2 fl. dr., 
..oil thyme ]/ 2 fl. dr., kerosene 4 fl. dr., sulphuric acid 20 minims. 

Lee's Lithrontriptie. — Powdered castile soap 2 oz., carbon- 
ate potassium 4 dr., nitrate potassium 2 dr., powdered gum 
arabic 5 dr., oil juniper 2 fl. dr. 

Cuticiira Ointment. — According to the Northwestern Lancet, 
this popular ointment consists of petroleum jelly with two per 
cent of carbolic acid, colored green and perfumed with oil of 
bergamot. 

Heiskill's Tetter Ointment.— This ointment, according to 
the Western Druggist, is simply cerate of sub-acetate of lead. 

Pimple Lotion. — Carbolic acid 1 dr., borax 4 dr., glycerine 
2 fl. oz., tannin 2 dr., alcohol 3 fl. oz. rose-water 10 fl. oz. 

Hardy's Ointment. — According to a French authority, this 
ointment consists of a mixture of beef tallow, castor oil, and 
gallic acid, flavored with vanilla. 

Lee's Grayel Remedy. — Sapo. Venet. 4 oz., sal. nitre pulv. 
4 oz., oil juniper 4 oz., gum arabic pulv. 1 oz., sal. absinthe 
1 oz. 

Hayden's Viburnum Compound. — Cramp bark 4 dr., black 
haw 2 dr., skunk cabbage 2 dr., sirup 4 dr., tinct. cinnamon 
enough to make 4 oz. 

Lallemaud's Specific. — Sulph. quinia 1 dr., sulph. cinchona 
1 dr., ext. colocynth 4 dr., wine colchicum seed 8 oz., tinct. 
verat. viride 1 oz., dilute alcohol 8 oz., sherry wine 31 oz. 

Hollo way's Ointment. — Yellow wax 10 parts, white wax 
10 parts, turpentine 25 parts, lard 50 parts, sweet oil 75 parts. 



390 THE HOUSEHOLD 

Kennedy's Medical Discovery. — According to King's Amer- 
ican Dispensatory, this much advertised remedy consists of 
sneezewort i oz., bitter-root 4 dr., boiling water 8 oz., proof 
spirits 10 oz., licorice root 4 dr., white sugar 4 oz., tinct. winter- 
green 1 oz. 

Kaskine. — This remedy consists of a white powder having 
a sweet taste and no odor. It is claimed by the manufacturers 
to be the ' ' only medicine that can destroy the germs which 
cause each particular disease and restore to perfect health." 
Dr. F. Hoffman, an eminent chemist, has made a careful 
analysis of several bottles of "Kaskine," purchased from dif- 
ferent drug stores, and found that it consists simply and solely 
of pulverized sugar. 

Iodia. — Fl. ext. stillingia 3 oz., fl. ext. prickly ash 1 oz., 
fl. ext. saxifraga yi oz., fl. ext. yellow parilla yi oz., fl. ext. 
blue flag ]/z oz., potassium iodide 256 gr., iron pyrophosphate 
256 gr., dilute phosphoric acid y 2 oz. 



MEDICATED PADS. 

As these quackish toys are still offered for sale, 
although not so much in vogue as a few years 
ago, our readers may be interested in the fol- 
lowing account of the composition of some of 
the leading "pads": — 

Lung Pad. — Grindelia robusta, scull cap leaves, blueberry 
root, blood root, yerba santa, gum ammoniac, white pine tur- 
pentine gum, oil tar, oil eucalyptus, oil sassafras. 

Head Pad. — Lupuline, lady's-slipper, Battle's bromidia, fl. 
ext. Jamaica dogwood, angelica root, oil eucalyptus. 

Liver Pad. — Mandrake root, bayberry bark, black root, red 
cinchona bark, gum guaiac (powder), fenugreek seed (powder), 
oil eucalyptus. 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 39 1 

Catarrh and Croup Pad.— Lobelia (herb), tartar emetic, 
blood root, blue cohosh, yellow Peruvian bark, pleurisy root, 
gum myrrh, oil stillingia, oilcajeput, oil cinnamon, oil lavender. 

Anti- Constipation Pad. — Mandrake root, aloes (powd.), ext. 
colocynth comp. (powd.), croton oil, oil sassafras, black root, 
lady's-slipper. 

Day's Kidney Pad. — Black cohosh, gum benzoin (powd.), 
gum guaiacum (powd.), juniper berries, queen of the meadow, 
digitalis leaves, oil juniper. 

French Uterine Pad. — Blue cohosh, gum guaiac (powder), 
witch hazel bark, ergot, cinchona bark, angelica root, oil tansy, 
oil stillingia, oil lobelia, oil lavender, oil eucalyptus. 

Stomach Pad.— Bayberry, lupuline, wild ginger, sassafras 
bark, gum myrrh, 'lady's-slipper, capsicum, oil fennel, oil cloves. 

Corrassa Compound. — For a number of years a man styling 
himself Rev. Jos. T. Inman, advertised extensively, giving as 
his address a certain number at Bible House, New York City. 
He claimed to have suffered from the results of the evil habits 
of his early youth, and to have discovered, while a missionary 
in South America, a remedy which afforded him entire relief, 
after many years of unsuccessful effort. His plan of operation 
was to offer to furnish, free of charge, a recipe for the cure of 
the disease. On receiving an application for said precious 
recipe, he forwarded to his victim a circular containing the 
formula: "Ext. of corrassa apimis 8 dr., ext. of salarmo urn- 
bellifera 4 dr., powdered alkermes latifolia 3 dr., ext. of carsa- 
doc herbalis 6 dr.," with the explanation that the remedies re- 
ferred to were choice South American herbs, which could be 
purchased from no one but the Rev. J. T. Inman. As a mat- 
ter of fact, the names composing the formula are wholly ficti- 
tious. No such herbs exist anywhere in the world. An analy- 
sis of the compound which was sent by this notorious quack to 
his dupes, as made by Dr. A. B. Lyons, an efficient chemist, is 
as follows : Gentian 15 per cent, licorice root 15 per cent, sugar 
50 per cent, sodium bicarb. 17^ per cent, cochineal 2^ per 
cent. 



39 2 THE HOUSEHOLD 

REMEDIES FOR DISEASES OF 

WOMEN. 
f 

Probably no class of invalids are more out- 
rageously imposed upon by quacks and nostrum- 
venders than ladies who are suffering from some 
of the diseases peculiar to their sex. The hidden 
nature of their maladies, and the general igno- 
rance prevailing respecting this class of disorders, 
render them an easy prey to the cunning mean- 
ness of the charlatan. Thousands of women are 
canvassing the country in the interest of the 
manufacturers of these nostrums ; and there is 
scarcely a community which has escaped a visita- 
tion. As a fair specimen of this class of medical 
frauds, we may mention — 

"Olive Branch." — The circulars of this nostrum present a 
picture of a dove bearing an olive branch, suggesting that this 
remedy is an olive branch of hope to those who are suffering 
-without relief. The following are a few of the preposterous 
claims made for this remedy : — 

"The wonderful Olive Branch. A radical cure for all fe- 
male diseases. A safe, pleasant, and permanent cure for all 
female complaints." 

" By the grace of the omnipitent God it works marvels to all 
that make use of it. The Olive Branch treatment is a mild, 
simple, vegetable remedy conveniently applied by the patient, 
and by its tonic, strengthening, absorbent, and healing proper- 
ties immediately removes all foul ulcers, inflammations, con- 
gestions, tumors, and morbid conditions." 

The literary liar of this company is evidently 
a number-one performer in his line. He does 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 393 

not strain at a gnat and swallow a camel, but 
swallows both gnat and camel with equal com- 
placency. 

But ' ' What is this wonderful ' Olive Branch ' 
concerning which such presumptuous claims are 
made ? " We placed a specimen in the hands of 
a competent chemist, who reports to us that its 
essential ingredients are a poisonous narcotic 
and alum ! 

Why are these particular drugs selected ? — For 
obvious reasons. Narcotics are the great de- 
ceivers among drugs. They benumb the nerves, 
and so remove pain. Under the delusion that 
she was being cured, many a woman has been 
led on from bad to worse, until a condition the 
most deplorable has been reached. The purpose 
of adding alum is equally evident, if not equally 
dreadful in its results. Alum possesses the pe- 
culiar property of coagulating the secretion of 
mucous surfaces, thus forming a parchment-like 
or skinny substance. This membrane, the user 
of the nostrum is led to believe, consists of ' ' the 
base of ulcers, or portions of cancers, polypi, or 
commencement of tumors," than which nothing 
could be more infamously false. 

Orange Blossom. — This nostrum, said to be a positive cure 
for diseases peculiar to women, is similar to the preceding. 
Its constituents are thus given in New Idea : Zinc sulphate 1 dr. , 
alum 15 gr., cocoa butter 3 dr., white wax %, dr., oil sweet al- 
monds \ x /z dr., ext. henbane 1 gr. 



394 THE HOUSEHOLD 

Grimault's Injection of Matico. — This is a colored solution 
of sulphate of copper. 

Sawyer's Uterine Pastilles. — These precious pastilles, for 
a few of which a charge of $8.00 is made, consist, according to 
the analysis of New Idea, simply and solely of flour made into 
a paste and hardened into small blocks. 

Oxone Uterine Wafers. — These wafers do not contain any 
ozone, but are said to consist of powdered jequirity. 



HALL'S " HYGIENIC " TREAT- 
MENT EXPOSED. 

For several years past, a man styling himself 
Dr. A. Wilford Hall, of New York City, has been 
advertising and vending about the country a 
pamphlet purporting to disclose a discovery made 
by himself something more than forty years ago. 
The so-called discovery which Dr. Hall claims to 
have made is this : — 

Having had dyspepsia for a number of years, 
and being greatly troubled with constipation, he 
resorted to the enema as a means of emptying 
his bowels, and discovered, as he asserts, that it 
was possible to inject a gallon of water into his 
colon by means of a bulb syringe. 

This is the whole of Dr. Hall's so-called dis- 
covery. He recommends the enema as a sub- 
stitute for nature's method of relieving the bow- 
els, to be employed by all persons, sick or well, 
and claims that persons who will adopt this 



MONITOR OF HEALTH. 395 

method of relieving the bowels will be proof 
against most of the diseases to which human 
flesh is heir, mentioning particularly such dis- 
orders as Bright's disease of the kidneys, small- 
pox, and other grave and contagious maladies. 
This so-called discovery is embodied by Dr. 
Hall in a cheaply printed pamphlet costing about 
two cents, for which he charges the modest sum 
of $4.00. 

The fraudulent business carried on by this man 
was fully exposed in the July, August, and Sep- 
tember numbers of Good Health (1890). 

Dr. Hall claims that he was the first to employ 
and recommend the introduction of large quan- 
tities of water into the bowels, asserting that 
"up to the time of my discovery, now forty- 
one years ago, it was not considered safe or even 
possible to inject more than a pint of water into 
the rectum." 

In a little work entitled ' ' The Water-Cure 
Manual," published by Dr. Joel Shew, in 1847, 
two years before Dr. Hall claims to have made 
his wonderful discovery, Dr. Shew gives a lengthy 
description of the enema and its uses. We quote 
the following sentence referring to the enema : 
" It may be repeated again and again in as great 
quantity as is desired ; a good mode, too, is to 
take a small injection, a tumblerful more or less, 
that is retained permanently without a move- 
ment before morning." This quotation is from 



39'^ THE HOUSEHOLD 

page 52 of "The Water-Cure Manual," copy- 
righted in 1847. Here we find clearly defined 
the whole of Dr. Hall's marvelous discovery. 
In another work, entitled ' ' Processes of Water 
Cure," also by Dr. Joel Shew, the third edition 
of which was published in 1 849, and the preface 
of which refers to another edition of the work 
published prior to 1847, Dr. Shew states (page 
147): "The quantity of water to be used will 
vary ; as much as can be retained, be it more or 
less, can be taken." 

Drs. Bell and Condie, two eminent English 
physicians, wrote in the early part of the present 
century : "In the stage of collapse, large in- 
jections of warm water have been much used 
in the North of England, and with a very en- 
couraging result. Mr. Lizars directs the water 
to be as hot as the hand can bear — in quantity 
of three or four pints. " 

We are fully justified, in view of the facts we 
have above presented, in denouncing this man as 
a full-fledged charlatan, and warning the public 
against his pretensions as well as against the em- 
ployment of his so-called discovery in the man- 
ner in which he directs, which will almost cer- 
tainly result in positive and serious injury in the 
great majority of cases. 



INDEX. 



PAGE. 

Accidents 317 

Acids, poisoning by 341 

Acidity of stomach 217 

Acne 243 

Aconite poisoning 340 

Adulterations, tests for 145 

Ague cures 367 

Ague 260 

Air 204 

Air, impure, test for 29 

Albadermine 355 

Alcohol 155 

Alcohol, poisoning by 342 

Alcohol on digestion 196 

Alcohol a poison 162 

Alcohol, effect on dogs 197 

, Alcohol, food value of 166 

Alcohol, entailments of 189 

Alcohol, a narcotic 166 

Alcoholized nerves 177 

Alcoholized muscles 183 

Alcoholic consumption 182 

Alcoholic insanity 180 

Alcoholic degeneration 170 

Ale : 161 

Allen's lung balsam 359 

Alexis St. Martin 179 

Alum, test for 145 

Allan's world's hair restorer 377 

Alkalies, poisoning by 342 

Ammonia 23 

Ammonia, poisoning by 342 

Animal heat and alcohol 184 

Aniline colors 68 

Anti-constipation pad 391 

Anti-chill pills 369 

Apoplexy 258 

Apoplexy, alcoholic 174 

Aqua f ortis, poisoning by 341 



Arabian balsam 386 

Arnica poisoning 340 

Arsenic eaters 196 

Arsenic, poisoning by 341 

Aseptin 386 

Asthma cure 357 

Athletes 89 

Athlophorus 386 

August flower 371 

Ausburg essence of life 363 

Ayer's ague cure 368 

Ayer's cathartic pills 385 

Ayer's cherry pectoral 359 

Ayer's hair vigor 377 

Ayer's vita nuova 352 

Ayer's 



Back yards 47 

Back, crick in the 276 

Bacilli 32 

Bad breath 231 

Baldness 234 

Barnyards 58 

Barnes' frost balsam 387 

Bareel's Indian liniment 379 

Barker's bone and nerve 

liniment 380 

Baths 66 

Baths 310 

Baunscheidt's oil 387 

Beaumont, Dr 179 

Becker's eye salve 376 

Bedchambers 85 

Bedding 54 

Bedrooms 54 

Beer 161 

Begg's fever and ague pills 369 

Benson's skin cure 387 

Biliousness 181 

397 



398 



Biliousness 277 

Bitters 161 

Bitters 199 

Bitters 361 

Blancard's pills 385 

Black salve 383 

Black oil liniment 383 

Bleeding from lungs 328 

Bleeding 326 

Bleeding from lungs 276 

Blood remedies 369 

Blood, purifying the 283 

Blue vitriol, poisoning by 341 

Blue vitriol, test for 145 

Boils 31 

Boils 289 

Boschee's German sirup 387 

Brain, softening of 274 

Brandreth's pills 385 

Brandy 161 

Breach 289 

Breath, bad 231 

Bright's disease 181 

Brown's camphorated sapon- 
aceous dentine 378 

Brown's bronchial troches 358 

Brodie's liniment 380 

Brown's iron bitters 361 

Brodie's liniment for asthma . . .360 

Bromidia 375 

Bruises 331 

Bryan's pulmonic wafers 359 

Bryant, W. C 86 

Buckler's croup mixture 360 

Bucklen's arnica salve 387 

Bull's blood sirup 370 

Bull's cough sirup 360 

Bunions 253 

Burns 333 

California liniment 381 

Calder's saponaceous dentine ..378 

Camphor poisoning 340 

Cancer, smoker's 193 

Candies, poisonous 342 

Canker 221 

Canned fruits 149 

Cannibal instinct 132 

Carbonous oxide 21 



Carbonic-acid gas, test for 30 

Care of the sick 290 

Carpenter, Dr 185 

Carpenter's liniment 379 

Carpets 61 

Carpets, danger in 24 

Carter's little liver pills 365 

Castoria 387 

Catani's specific 365 

Catarrh cures 375 

Catarrh and croup pad 391 

Celerina 388 

Centaur liniment (for man) 381 

Centaur liniment (for beast) 381 

Cesspools 52 

Chafing 248 

Chafing shoes 249 

Chamberlain's relief 388 

Chamberlain's colic, cholera. . .388 

Chapman's liniment 379 

Chapped hands 249 

Cheerfulness 207 

Cheese, germs in 130 

Cheese poisoning 129 

Chest wrapper 312 

Chilblains 214, 253 

Children, clothing of 89 

Chloride of lime 58 

Chlorodyne 372 

Chlorine gas 58 

Cholera 32 

Choking 325 

Choke-damp 323 

Christie's ague mixture 368 

Cider 161 

Cigars and consumption 200 

Clark's blood mixture 370 

Cleanliness 64 

Cleary's asthma powder 360 

Closets 45 

Clothing 206 

Clothing, healthful 90 

Coaline headache powders 373 

Coal gas 324 

Cobalt, poisoning by 341 

Cobb's pills 388 

Coe's dyspeptic cure 386 

Coffee 106 

Coffee-topers 108 



INDEX. 



399 



•Colds 208 

Colic 256 

Colo-clyster 315 

Color blindness 194 

Colors, poisonous 68 

Comedone lotion 355 

■Compresses 312 

Condiments 102, 281 

Constipation 224 

Consumption 274, 125 

Consumption cure 357, 358, 361 

Consumption, prevention of ... . 77 

Consumption and cigars 200 

Consumption catching 125 

Consumption and salt meats 122 

Convulsions 257 

Cook's pills 385 

Cook's electro-magnetic lin'mt383 

Copperas 58 

Copper sulphate, poisoning by.. 341 

Corns 251 

Corn cures 378, 379 

Corrassa compound 391 

Corrosive sublimate, poison- 
ing by 341 

Corsets 72 

Cosmetics 68, 353 

Cough cure 357 

Cough, a cure for 212 

Cows, stabled 125 

Cram's fluid lightning 384 

Cramps 272 

Crick in the back 276 

Croup 214 

Cuspidors 82 

Cuticura ointment 389 

Cuticura resolvent — 370 

Cuts 329 

Dalby's carminative 385 

Dandruff 235 

Day's kidney pad 391 

Death trap 45 

Death, proofs of 306 

Decayed teeth 232 

Decomposing matter 52 

Degeneration, alcoholic 170 

Dehaut's purgative pills 366 

Dellenbaugh's cough cure 360 



Delirium tremens from tea 202 

Dentifrices 377 

Deodorants 57 

Deshler's salve 384 

Diabetes 264 

Diet in dyspepsia 223 

Diet and mental labor 144 

Diet, effects on liver . 102 

Digestion, effect of 196 

Diphtheria, disinfection after. . .299 

Diphtheria 302 

Diphtheria 293 

Dirt in the eye 337 

Disinfectant 82 

Diseased meat 124 

Diseases, common 203 

Dislocation 332 

Disinfection of clothing 305 

Dress, restrictions of 95 

Drowning 3r7 

Dropsy 182 

Double chloride of gold 353 

Dow s white liquid physic 365 

Drunkard's heart 171 

Drunkard's stomach 178 

Drunkard's brain 174 

Drunkard's liver 180 

Dry-earth system 56 

Dust 23, 24 

Dust 43 

Dysentery 270 

Dyspepsia from tobacco 193 

Dysentery 32 

Dyspepsia, painful 223 

Ear, foreign bodies in 338 

Earache 241 

Eating 74 

Eating between meals 142 

Eating hastily 143 

Eclectic stillingia liniment for 

croup 380 

Eczema 245 

Egyptian eye salve 376 

Elepizone 351 

Electricity 208 

Elixir thion compound 388 

Elixir of life 370 

Ellirnan' s royal embrocation — 383 



400 



IXDEX. 



Ely's cream balm 375 

Enamels 356 

Enema 315 

Eno'sfruit salt 366 

Epilepsy 257 

Epilepsy, sure cures for 351 

Erysipelas 244 

Espey's cream 389 

Exercise 207 

Exercise, lung work 285 

Exercise 84 

Eye remedies 376 

Eye, dirt in 337 

Eye, lime in 338 

Eyes, hygiene of 69 

Eyelids, granulated 237 

Face-ache 273 

Fainting 259 

Falke'ssulpholine cream 354 

Farsightedness 237 

Favorite liniment 382 

Feather beds 55 

Febriline 369 

Feet, burning 255 

Feet, tender 254 

Feet, cold 255 

Fellows' hypophosphites 363 

Felon 250 

Fevers 270 

Filth, disposal of 52 

Firwein 360 

Flagg's relief 373 

Flesh, poisonous 342 

Flesh foods 279 

Fleury ' s tastless cascarine 366 

Flowers 64 

Fluid lightning 379 

Fomentations 312 

Food for children 268 

Foods 99 

Food 206 

Foods, poisonous 342 

Foreign bodies in the ear 338 

Foreign bodies swallowed 339 

Fosgate's anodyne cordial 373 

Fracture 332 

Franc's life pills 386 

Fragrant sozodont powder 378 



Freeman's vermifuge oil 3G4 

Freezing 334 

French absinthe 362 

French uterine pad 391 

Freckles 247 

Fruit extracts 151 

Funk's cream of roses 354 

Garbage barrels 47 

Gargling oil 382 

Garfield tea 366 

Gasoline, dangers in 344 

Gas, carbonic-acid 21 

Gases, poisonous 19 

Gas, illuminating 324 

Gases, poisonous 322 

Genuine white oil liniment 382 

German liniment 379 

Germs, to kill 82 

Germs, sources of 37 

Germ-breeding matter 52 

Germs 31 

German rheumatic remedy 375 

Germs in cheese 131 

Germs in sick-room 300 

German bitters 361 

Germs of diphtheria 294 

Giles's iodide of ammonia 381 

Gin 161 

Glucose, test for 146 

Godfrey's cordial 380 

Gofio 112 

Goiter 267 

Golden eyewater 376 

Gombault's caustic balsam 389 

Goodie's Mexican cough sirup. .360 
Good Samaritan cough sirup... 359 

Good Samaritan 379 

Gout 256 

Granulated eyelids 237 

Grandmother's own cough rem- 
edy 359 

Green mountain salve 383 

Great African wonder 383 

Great London ointment 3S1 

Green wonder oil 381 

Gull's cough mixture 359 

Gum's rheumatic liniment 381 



INDEX. 



401 



Hagan's magnolia balm 354 

Hair's asthma cure 360 

Hair dyes 68, 377 

Hair restoratives 377 

Hainesjs golden specific 353 

Half bath 312 

Hall's catarrh cure 375 

Hall's hair renewer 377 

Hamburg tea 366 

Hamburg drops 366 

Hamlet's ague pills 369 

Hamlin's wizard oil 380 

Hands, chapped 249 

Hanging 324 

Hanson's magic corn cure 378 

Hardy's ointment 389 

Hartley's So. American cure 370 

Hayden's viburnum compound. ^389 

Hayes, Doctor 184 

Headache 229 231 

Headache, sick 230 

Headache, nervous 230 

Head pad 390 

Heart-burn 228 

Heart, drunkard's 171 

Heart, palpitation of 227 

Heart disease, smokers' 192 

Heiskill's tetter ointment 389 

Helmbold's jelly of glycerine 

and roses 354 

Helmbold's buchu 366 

Hemorrhoids 225 

Hemorrhage 326 

Hemorrh age from lungs 328 

Hemorrhage from nose 328 

Heredity of tobacco 195 

Hernia 289 

Hiccough 213 

Hill's John, pectoral balsam of 

honey 385 

Himrod's asthma cure 360 

Hippocrates 141 

Hoarseness 211 

Hogs 117 

Holloway's ointment 389 

Holloway's pills 385 

Holloway's pills 366 

Holmes's liver pills 366 



Honey, artificial 148 

Hop bitters 361 

Hostetter's bitters 361 

Hot air bath 314 

Hot-water drinking 314 

Hot applications 313 

House-cleaning 60 

Hudson Bay co 185 

Hunter's red drops 370 

.Hydrophobia 334 

Hydrogen, sulphureted 21 

Hygienic agencies 204 

Hygiene of the eyes 69 

Hypermetropia 238 

Hysterics 258 

Ice water 75 

Impure air, test for 29 

Impure air 19, 29 

Incontinence of urine 265 

Indigestion 226 

Ingrowing nail 250 

Injecting hemorrhoids 384 

Insanity, alcoholic 180 

Insect stings 336 

Intoxication from tea 201 

Inunction 316 

Iodia 390 

Itch 248 

Itching 247 

Jackson's cough sirup 360 

Jayne's expectorant 359 

Jayne's alterative 371 

Jayne's ague mixture 368 

Jellies 151 

Kaskine 390 

Keating's cough lozenges 359 

Kendall's spavin cure 383 

Kennedy's medical discovery ... 390 
Kenkle's vegetable worm sirup .364 

Kennedy, Capt , . 184 

Kephalgine 373 

Kerosene, dangerous 343 

Kickapoo Indian oil 382 

King's new discovery 359 

King, Pr 184 

Kissing, danger of 78 

Kitchens 38 



402 



INDEX. 



Kitchell's liniment 382 

Kline's nerve restorer 363 

Kreyder's ague pills 369 

Lac virginis 354 

Lady Webster's dinner pills 385 

La grippe 215 

Lager beer 140 

Lallemand's specific 389 

Langell's asthma remedy 360 

Laudanum poisoning 340 

Laville's gout cure .■ 371 

Lavarre's sure cure 373 

Lead poisoning 76 

Lead, poisoning by 341 

Lead 68 

Lee's gravel remedy 389 

Lee's anti-bilious pills 365 

Lee's lithrontriptic 389 

Lice 289 

Liebig 141 

Liebig's corn cure 378 

Lightning stroke 325 

Lime in the eye 338 

Liniments and ointments 379 

Liniment for man and beast 380 

Liniment 381 

Lindsey's pain cure 374 

Liniment 382 

Lips, chapped 249 

Listerine 381 

Little hop pills 374 

Liver pad 390 

Liver and kidney cures 365 

Liver, tight-laced 71 

Liver, fissure of 71 

Liver spots 246 

Lobelia poisoning 340 

Locock's pulmonic wafers 359 

Lock-jaw 32 

Longevity and diet 114 

Loomis's liniment 379 

Lotions 356 

Low's magnetic liniment 381 

Lumbago 277 

Lung pad 390 

Lunar caustic, poisoning by 341 

Lungs, hemorrhage from 276 

Lye, poisoning by 342 

Lyon's kathairon 377 



Magnetic liniment 379 

Malvina lotion 354 

Malvina cream 354 

Mattresses 55 

Measles 269 

Meat eating 109 

Meats, diseased 124 

Medicated pads 390 

Medical frauds 348 

Meibom's pectoral balsam 359 

Metz's balsam 380 

Mexican mustang liniment 381 

Microbes, growth of 305 

Microbes, multiplication of 305 

Miller, Prof 184 

Miller's golden oil 389 

Milk 125 

Milk, sterilized 128 

Milk, impure 126 

Mineral poisons 341 

Miscellaneous 385 

Mitchell's eye salve 376 

Moderate drinking 188 

Modine 356 

Morphia poisoning 340 

Morrison's pills 366 

Morehead's magnetic plaster. .388 

Mother Siegel's sirup 371 

Moxie 363 

Mumps 270 

Murray's infallible system tonic. 363 

Muriatic acid, poisoning by 341 

Mushrooms, poisonous 343 

Myopia 238 

Nail, ingrowing 250 

Nausea, to relieve 234 

Nearsightedness 237 

Neison's statistics 187 

Nervous disease 193 

Nerve and bone liniment 381 

Nervous headache 230 

Night air 63 

Nosebleed 328 

Nose 338 

Nose, foreign bodies in 338 

Nosebleed 241 

Odors, foul 37, 46 

Oil of spike 382 



403 



Oil of joy 383 

Oil of gladness 380 

Ointment of iodoform 383 

Old sight 238 

Opium poisoning 340 

Opium habit .353 

Opium cures 352 

Opodeldoc liniment 382 

Organic poison 24 

Osgood's cholagogue, or cele- 
brated ague cure 369 

Outhouses 56 

Oxalic acid, poisoning by 341 

Oysters 132, 137 

Ozone 58 

Pain 272 

Pain killers 371 

Pail douche 312 

Palmer's cosmetic 354 

Palpitation of heart 277 

Pantry 40 

Papine 374 

Paralysis, tobacco 194 

Paris green, poisoning by 341 

Parlors 44 

Parson's local anaesthetic 374 

Parker, Dr. Willard 187 

Pate de foie gras roi 

Patent medicines 348 

Patterson's emulsion of pumpkin 

seeds 364 

Peacock's bromides 351 

Pearlash, poisoning by 342 

Peekskill's cough sirup 359 

Pepper 103 

Pepsin 74 

Perry 161 

Perry Davis' pain killer 374 

Perry's compound sarsaparilla 

blood purifier 371 

Perspiration, profuse 254 

Perspiration, foul 254 

Petit's eye salve • 376 

Phosphorus, poisoning by 341 

Pickles 152 

Pierce's, R. V., pleasant purga- 
tive pellets 366 



Pierce's golden medical discov- 
ery 386 

Piles, bleeding 225 

Pile remedies 384 

Pimple lotion 389 

Pimples 243 

Piso's consumption cure 358 

Plants 63, 64 

Piatt's chlorides 388 

Pleis's fit powders 351 

Pneumonia 32 

Poisoning, camphor 340 

Poisoning, tobacco 340 

Poisoning, arnica 340 

Poisoning, opium 340 

Poisoning, what to do in 340 

Poisoning, lobelia 340 

Poisoning, by cheese 129 

Poisoning, chronic 342 

Poisoning, aconite 340 

Poisoning, strychnia 340 

Poisoning, paregoric 340 

Poisons, mineral 34t 

Pope's cure for neuralgia 374 

Potash, poisoning by 342 

Potash, permanganate of 58 

Powders 356 

Powell's balm of anise seed 374 

Presbyopia 238 

Preserves 150 

Price' s pile ointment 384 

Pride of India liniment 383 

Quick stop for headaches 374 

Radway's ready relief 374 

Radway's, Dr., renovating resolv- 
ent 370 

Radam's microbe killer 388 

Radway's regulating pills 366 

Ransom's hive sirup and tolu. . .358 

Ratsbane, poisoning by 341 

Rattlesnake bite 335 

Raw meat 121 

Reave's embrocation... 383 

Recamier lotion 356 

Recamier balm 356 

Red star cough sirup 358 



404 



INDEX. 



Red nose 242 

Red precipitate, poisoning by.. 341 

Ree's cholera mixture 388 

Remedies, simple 203 

Remedies, secret 348 

Rest 207 

Rex magnus 388 

Rheumatism 256 

Rhode's fever aud ague cure or 

antidote to malaria 368 

Richardson, John 185 

Roche's herbal embrocation 382 

Rogers's excelsior corn cure 378 

Rorick's formula for injecting 

hemorrhoids 384 

Round worm 266 

Rubbing-wet-sheet 312 

Rules for dyspeptics 221 

Rum 161 

Rum blossom 175 

Run-rounds 32 

Russia salve 388 

Sage's catarrh remedy 376 

Salt 104 

Saltpeter, poisoning by 341 

Saleratus 140 

Salt meats 122 

Sanative ointment 383 

Sand bags 273 

Sanford's radical cure for 

catarrh 375 

Saul's catarrh remedy 375 

Scarlet fever 269 

Scarlet fever, disinfection after 299 

Scalds 332 

Scars, to prevent 334 

Scarlet fever contagion 270 

Schenck's pulmonic sirup 358 

Scotch oats essence 353 

Seeley's pile ointment 384 

Senckenberg's migraine 

pastilles 373 

Seven Sutherland sisters, 

hair grower 377 

Seven seals, or golden wonder. .387 

Shingles 246 

Shiloh's consumption cure 358 

Shoes, chafing 249 

Shoes, thin 72 



Sick room, cleansing 304 

Sick headache 230 

Side, stitch in 277 

Silver nitrate, poisoning by 341 

Simple remedies 203 

Simon's liver regulator 365 

Sinks 39 

Sinks, disinfection of 53 

Sirup of figs 365 

Siiup of stillingia compound 370 

Sitting-room 41 

Sitz bath 311 

Skin, the care of 66 

Skin, the 64 

Skinner's dandruff mixture 377 

Skirts 97 

Sleeping rooms 63 

Sleeplessness 260 

Sleeping rooms, unhealthful 45 

Smedley's fever powders 387 

Smith Bros. ' cough drops 358 

Smoker's cancer 193 

Smoker's heart 192 

Sneezing 211 

Soda 140 

Soda water, poisonous 343 

Soda, poisoning by 343 

Sore throat, smoker's 192 

Sore throat 210 

Sore eyes 236 

Sour stomach 217 

Spectacles 238 

Spices 103 

Sponge bath 311 

Sprain 331 

Stammering 267 

Stedman's soothing powders 373 

Stitch in the side 277 

Stimulation 183 

Stings of insects 336 

Stimulant habit 195 

St. Jacob's oil 382 

St. John's liniment 382 

Stomach pad 391 

Stomach, catarrh of 220 

Stove dampers 21 

Stomach, acidity 217 

Stone-bruise 251 

Stoughton bitters 361 



INDEX. 



405 



Stomach, ulcerated 219 

Stomach bitters 362 

Stoke's expectorant 358 

Strychnia poisoning 340 

Strong's arnica jelly 387 

Styes 237 

Suffocation 317 

Sulphurous oxide 23 

Sulphureted hydrogen 21 

Sun-stroke 326 

Sunshine 61 

Sunlight 208 

Swayne's ointment 386 

Swaim's vermifuge 364 

Sweet's celebrated ointment 384 

Sweating, profuse 254 

Swift's syphilitic specific 387 

Sykes', Dr., cure for catarrh 375 

Sirups, poisonous 146 

Tafton's balm of life 360 

Tape worm 266 

Tape worm 120 

Tarrant's effervescent Seltzer 

aperient 365 

Tartar salts, poisoning by 342 

Tea and coffee 152 

Tea-eaters 106 

Tea-drinkers 201 

Tea 106 

Teeth, care of 274 

Temperance 155 

Tender feet 254 

Thackeray 133 

"That liniment" 382 

Thieleman's cholera mixture.. .386 

Thomas's electric oil 380 

Thompson's eye water 376 

Thumb sucking 268 

Tight lacing 71 

Tin, adulterations of 154 

Tobias' Venetian liniment 380 

Tobacco, discovery of 190 

Tobacco poisoning 340 

Tobacco blindness 194 

Tobacco, poisoning by 342 

Tobacco, effect on blood 191 

Tobacco heart 192 

Tobacco, the poison of 190 



Tobacco using 190 

Tonics 363 

Toothache 273 

Torpid liver 277 

Trask's magnetic ointment 383 

Trix, or jokes 386 

Trichinas 120 

Triumph corn plaster 378 

Tropic fruit laxative 365 

Tropic fruit laxative 386 

Tully powder 355 

Two meals a day 141 

Typhoid fever 127 

Typhoid fever 32 

Typhoid germs, to destroy 303 

Ulcers 289 

Upham's pile ointment 384 

Upham's asthma remedy 360 

Urine, incontinence of 265 

Van Buskirk's fragrant so- 

zodont 378 

Vapor bath 313 

Vaults 49 

Vegetable poisons 340 

Vegetables canned 149 

Vegetarians 115 

Ventilation, methods of 26 

Ventilation 25 

Verdigris, poisoning by 341 

Vermilion, poisoning by 341 

Vinegar bitters 362 

Vinegar 152 

Vitriol, poisoning by 341 

Vomiting 233 

Wall-paper 60 

Wall-paper, poisonous 67 

Warner's safe cure 367 

Warts 32. 250 

Water, value of 83 

Water 205 

Watts' anti -rheumatic pills 386 

Wayne's diuretic elixir 367 

Wei de Meyer's catarrh cure . . .375 

Wells, dangerous 49 

Wet-sheet pack 311 

Whisky , 161 



406 



INDEX. 



White precipitate, poisoning by 341 

Whooping cough 270 

Wilhoft's anti-periodic fever 

and ague cure 368 

Wilson's lightning liniment 380 

Wine 161 

Wine tasting : 198 

Winslow's Mrs., soothing sirup .372 

Wistar's cough lozenges 361 

Witch-hazel pile ointment 384 



Wood-box 39 

Wood-boxes 61 

Worms 266 

Worm medicines 364 

Wounds, dressing of 330 

Wrinkles 247 

Yellow fever 32 

Yellow family drops 372 



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